The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia

Abstract

This paper presens a comparative study of the introduction of the tulip in Slovenia and in Europe. The method is based on the investigation of archival material, provincial chronicles, and descriptive accounts. The goal of the research is to establish as precisely as possible the structure and form of gardens where decorative bulbs were planted, the habits of the owners of such gardens, and their relationships with each other. The second part of the research paper will present a comparison of the types of tulips found in Slovenian and foreign gardens in the 17th century. At the centre of the research project is the assortment of tulips from the park at Castle Lisičje, the first and most extensive collection of tulips in Slovenia dating from the mid-17th century. On the basis of comparisons with contemporaneous foreign tulip collections, we evaluated the collections in terms of the origin of various types and provide a description of prevailing social and economic factors. On the basis of the evaluation of this collection, it is possible to strongly support the hypothesis that the introduction of decorative bulbs (and particularly tulips) in Slovenia did not lag far behind the rest of Europe.

Full text

1 Biotehnical Faculty, Landscape Architecture Department, Jamnikarjeva 101, Ljubljana, SI-1111
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009 str. 133 - 142
COBISS koda 1.01
Agrovoc descriptors: tulipa, ornamental bulbs, plant introduction, introduced varieties, plant breeding, landscape plants,
landscaping, identification, censuses, gardens, collections, plant collections
Agris category code: F01, B50, F70
The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia
Marko DOBRILOVIČ1
Received December 9, 2008; accepted April 2, 2009.
Delo je prispelo 9. decembra 2008; sprejeto 2. aprila 2009.
ABSTRACT
This paper presens a comparative study of the introduction of
the tulip in Slovenia and in Europe. The method is based on
the investigation of archival material, provincial chronicles,
and descriptive accounts. The goal of the research is to
establish as precisely as possible the structure and form of
gardens where decorative bulbs were planted, the habits of the
owners of such gardens, and their relationships with each
other. The second part of the research paper will present a
comparison of the types of tulips found in Slovenian and
foreign gardens in the 17th century. At the centre of the
research project is the assortment of tulips from the park at
Castle Lisičje, the first and most extensive collection of tulips
in Slovenia dating from the mid-17th century. On the basis of
comparisons with contemporaneous foreign tulip collections,
we evaluated the collections in terms of the origin of various
types and provide a description of prevailing social and
economic factors. On the basis of the evaluation of this
collection, it is possible to strongly support the hypothesis that
the introduction of decorative bulbs (and particularly tulips) in
Slovenia did not lag far behind the rest of Europe.
Key words: Landscape architecture, history, decorative bulbs,
tulip, introduction
IZVLEČEK
INTRODUKCIJA OKRASNIH ČEBULNIC NA
SLOVENSKO OZEMLJE
V prispevku je predstavljena raziskava o introdukciji tulipana
na slovensko ozemlje in umestitev slovenske introdukcije v
evropski okvir. Raziskava temelji na proučevanju arhivskega
gradiva in deželnih kronik z namenom opredeliti strukturo in
obliko prvih nasadov okrasnih čebulnic, kje in kdo jih je gojil,
ter povezave med lastniki vrtov. V drugem delu raziskave je
izdelana primerjava med domačimi in tujimi sortimenti
tulipanov iz 17. stoletja. Kot najpomembnejši je predstavljen
sortiment tulipanov iz parka gradu Lisičje (prva in
najobsežnejša kolekcija tulipanov v sredini 17. stoletja na
Slovenskem). Izdelan je bil popis sort tulipanov iz tega vrta.
Na podlagi primerjave s tujimi sočasnimi zbirkami tulipanov
je bila popisana zbirka ovrednotena glede na poreklo oz. izvor
sort, sodobnost in ekonomski vidik. Na podlagi omenjenega
vrednotenja zbirke je moč potrditi uvodoma postavljeno
hipotezo, da introdukcija okrasnih čebulnic (tulipanov) na
slovensko ozemlje časovno ni bila v zaostanku glede na ostale
evropske dežele.
Ključne besede: krajinska arhitektura, zgodovina, okrasne
čebulnice, tulipani, introdukcija
1 INTRODUCTION
Definition of Theme
From their first introduction in Slovenia until the
present, decorative bulbs have been popular above all
because of the visual appearance of the flower.
However, their value has not always rested on
appearance alone. In the 16th and 17th centuries,
possession of such bulbs indicated a certain social
status. By the end of the 17th century, the perceived
financial value of decorative bulbs led to an economic
surge that ended with the market euphoria known as
tulip mania (Garber, 2000; Chancellor, 1999). Facts
about the introduction, expansion, and economic
significance of decorative bulbs in the world, or more
specifically in Western Europe, are well known (Missel,
2008; Moggach, 1999; Pavord, 1999; Proctor, 1998),
while their early introduction into Slovenian territory is
much less researched.

Marko DOBRILOVIČ
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009
134
2 MATERIAL AND WORK METHOD
In terms of assortment, dissemination, and economic value,
tulips, among all the decorative bulbs, played a special role in
both Europe and Slovenia. Because of the many impacts, not
least social, of the introduction of the tulip in Europe (tulip
mania), this research paper focuses particularly on this type of
bulb.
As a result of the recent discovery of new material, extensive
new research has been done using primary source data
(accessible archival data). This paper presents a comparative
study of the introduction of the tulip in Slovenia and in Europe
based on this new data. The first part of the research analyses
the social factors that created conditions for the introduction of
tulips and other decorative bulbs in Slovenia as well as their
dissemination and use. This paper will answer the following
research questions:
• what were the reasons underlying the introduction of
decorative bulbs in Slovenia,
• when, how, and in what quantity did decorative bulbs
arrive in Slovenia,
• who first introduced decorative bulbs in Slovenia and
where.
The work method is based on the investigation of archival
material (the Franciscan cadastral register, the main book of
names, probate lists of nobility, estate records, collections of
plans and manuscripts) and on the investigation of provincial
chronicles and descriptive accounts (for example, the
chronicles of Valvasor and Vischer). The goal of the research
is to establish as precisely as possible the structure and form of
gardens where decorative bulbs were planted, the habits of the
owners of such gardens, and their relationships with each
other.
The second part of the research paper presents a comparison
of the types of tulips found in Slovenian and foreign gardens
in the 17th century. Some of the same data used in the first part
of the study (inventories of plant types in the first gardens and
collections of decorative bulbs in individual parks in Slovenia
– Lisičje, Castle Brdo pri Kranju, Dol pri Ljubljani) will be
supplemented in the second part by the inventories of similar
collections in Western Europe (in the Netherlands, Germany,
Italy, and France). The majority of data for Slovenia was
found among the archival material of manor houses and in
provincial chronicles (Valvasor, 1689, and Vischer, 1681).
Data about the extent and structure of decorative bulb
collections in Europe were found in Dutch (Wageningen UR
Library, Wageningen; Stichting Het Nederlandsch
Economisch-Historisch Archief, Amsterdam), American
(Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena; ASU Libraries,
Arizona State University), and German archives.
At the centre of the research project is the assortment of tulips
from the park at Castle Lisičje, the first and most extensive
collection of tulips in Slovenia dating from the mid-17th
century. An inventory of the types of tulips used in this garden
was well documented. On the basis of comparisons with
contemporaneous foreign tulip collections, we evaluate the
collections in terms of the origin of various types and provide
a description of prevailing social and economic factors.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
2.1 Overview of Historical Sources
In terms of research from archival sources, an important
part of the results derive from the discovery of rare
entries in various documents.
Western European Sources
Special Collections of Wageningen UR Library
Register van de prijsen der bloemen, zijnde de derde
samen-spraeck, tusschen Gaergoed ende Waermond,
inhoudende het vervolgh van den op ende ondergangh
van flora / [door Adriaen Roman], [1e dr.] - Haerlem :
Adriaen Roman, 1637.
Document comprising 24 pages; listed on pages
numbered 6, 7, 8, and 9 are 194 various prices for
different tulips. The tulip with the highest price was
named Audernaede (5,700 guldens), the least expensive
was the Rattebeet tulip (30 guldens).
Samen-spraeck, tusschen Waermondt ende Gaergoedt,
nopende de opkomste ende ondergangh van flora /
Adriaen Roman, [1e] dr. - Haerlem : Adriaen Roman,
1637.
Document comprising 24 pages; listed on pages
numbered 11, 12, and 13 are 131 types of tulips that
were present on the Netherlands market in 1637; quoted
on pages numbered 24 and 25 are the prices for selected
tulips.
Tweede samen-spraeck tusschen Waermondt ende
Gaergoedt, zijnde het vervolgh van den op ende
ondergangh van Flora / Adriaen Roman, Haerlem, 1637.
Document comprising 24 pages; enumerated on page 5
are 25 kinds of tulips with their prices.
Lijste van eenighe tulpaen : verkocht aen de meest-
biedende op den 5 Februarij 1637 : op de sael van de
Nieuwe Schutters Doelen, int bywesen van de E. Heeren
Wees-meesteren ende voochden, ghecoomen van
Wouter Bartelmiesz. Winckel, in sijn leven casteleyn
van de Oude Schutters Doelen tot Alckmaer, [Alckmaer
: s.n.], 1637.
This document is one page long. It is a leaflet offering
101 tulips. The prices range between 51 guldens for a

The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009 135
tulip called Ian Gerritz and 4,200 guldens for the
Viseroy.
Dood-rolle ende groef-maal van Floortie-Floraas / I.
Soet, 1636.
This document is one page long. The author of the text
is I. Soet; 139 tulips are listed.
Troost-brief, aen alle bedroefde Bloemmisten, die
treuren over 't sterven of 't overlijden van Flora,
Goddinne der Floristen.
Document comprising 24 pages. The pages numbered
22, 23, and 24 feature a sales offer for tulips (similar to
the document Listje van eenighe tulpaen).
There are approximately 43 known books (manuscripts)
about tulips. The majority (34) of these emerged from
the Netherlands in the first half of the 17th century.
Among the most important of these are as follows:
Cos, P. (1637) The Tulip Book
Verzameling van een meenigte tulipaanen, naar het
leven geteekend met hunne naamen, en swaarte der
bollen, zoo als die publicq verkogt zijn, te Haarlem in
den jaare A. 1637, door P. Cos, bloemist te Haarlem. -
Haarlem : [s.n.], 1637. - 75 pl.
This book is comprised of sections from a larger
collection (Krelage Collection, Wageningen). The
manuscript features 54 illustrations of tulips made in
gouache, and an appendix with 12 additional
illustrations of tulips and 9 watercolours of other plants.
The illustrators are Pieter Holsteijn the Younger and
Peter Schangen. Most of the names of the tulips are
written below the illustration. At some later point, prices
and weights were added (weight expressed in ‘aasen’
which equals 0.048 grams). The prices are comparable
to those called at a February 5, 1637 auction in
Alkmaaron.
Bijzondere Collecties NEHA,Tulpen, Signatuur
Bijzondere Collecties 254, Periode 1630-1639,
Stichting Het Nederlandsch Economisch-Historisch
Archief, Amsterdam.
Document comprising 116 pages on which are featured
the image of various plants. Watercolours of tulips
appear on 75 of these pages (29 of which are unnamed).
There is a register of names in the appendix.
Slovenian Sources
Provincial chronicles
Valvasor V. 1689. Die Ehre des Herzogthums Krain, 3.
Band. Rudolfswerth, J. Krajec: 730 pages. From page
173 to 179, Valvasor describes an extensive collection
of exogenous plants in the park of the Castle Lisičje pri
Ljubljani. Special emphasis is given to tulips. The
following varieties of decorative bulbs appear in the
description: anemone (simple, 15 types), double
anemone (double, more than 20 types), ranunculus
(simple, many types), irises (various types), double
white lilies (double, two types), golden lily (also
Turkish bouquet), fritillaria (three types), tulips (107
different types).
Vischer G.M. 1971. Topographia Ducatas Stiriae.
Ljubljana, 1971, Cankarjeva Založba: 540 pages.
Archival sources
Dol Estate Records, Manuscript Collection, manuscript
203, Archives of the Republic of Slovenia.
Title: Annalen des Gartens zu Lustall für das Jahr 1840
Author: Henrik Freyer
61 pages on which are enumerated all the work and
directives for the maintenance of the park as well as a
description of the various plants that are grown in the
garden. Bulbs from Holland are also featured as are
hyacinths (Hyacinthus), tulips (Tulipa), anemones
(anemone coronaria), runuculus (Ranunculus asiaticus),
and various daffodils (Narcissus).
Zois Collection, fascicule 19, Archives of the Republic
of Slovenia
Contains a list of plants that Karel Zois obtained from
the Netherlands (Mellung aus Holland); tulips are
among the plants mentioned.
Zois Collection, fascicule 13, Archives of the Republic
of Slovenia
Contains garden inventory for the botanical park at Brdo
pri Kranju. Information from the years 1792, 1793,
1799, 1834, and 1835 has been preserved.
2.2 The Introduction of Tulips in Europe
Records indicate that tulips were raised in Turkey even
before the year 1000 (Time Table for Tulip, 2008).
There are poems by Omar Khayyam from the 12th
century about the tulip, and a century later poems by
Rumi that celebrate the tulip. According to Hall
(1940:6), the original name for tulip (lale) appears for
the first time in Persian literary texts by Omar Khayyam
(dated 1123) and Hafiz (dated 1390). This is the word
still used for tulip in the Persian and Turkish languages
today. During the time of Suleiman II’s reign (1522-
1566), there was an extraordinary enthusiasm for
growing tulips in Turkey. Exotic plants were also of
great interest to A.G. Busbequiis (sy. Busbeq), the
ambassador of the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand I to the
Ottoman Empire. He documented his observations in
the 1554 book entitled The Four Epistles of A.G.
Busbequiis (Missel, 2008). It is clear from his 1554
Constantinople travel journal that he sent or brought
back to Vienna with him the first bulbs. However, Hall
(1940:6) allows for the possibility that the first
introduction of tulips to Vienna came even before

Marko DOBRILOVIČ
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009
136
Busbequiis. The first visual image of the tulip can be
found in 1561 in a book by C. Gesner. In 1568, we find
a Dutch portrait of a tulip in a book by R. Dodoens
‘Cruydtboeck’ (Herbal). Ten years later the first tulip
appears in England and a decade after that, in France
(Time Table for Tulip, 2008).
Most botanical types of tulips come from Central Asia,
the northern Caucuses, Persia, Turkistan, and Bukhara.
The first tulips introduced in Europe came from the T.
gesneriana group, which, during Busbequiis’ time, were
cultivated in Turkish gardens. Bailey (1950:215) states
that Gesner saw his first tulip in Augsburg in 1559. On
the basis of his descriptions of the flower, we can
conclude that it came from the T. gesneriana group. Not
only Bailey (1950:3395), but Hall (1990:94) also
suspects that contemporary tulips came from the T.
gesneriana group. Linnee combines all garden tulips
under this name. Tulips in this group include those that
Europeans have been growing in their gardens for two
hundred years, and before the Europeans, Turks (though
more precise data about such tulips is difficult to find).
Interest in this type of plant led to the discovery of
autochthonous types and caused their near extinction in
the natural environment. Some sources claim that the
original T. suaveolons was discovered in southern
Europe, though that it is truly autochthonous to this
region has been questioned (it may have spread in the
wild after the first foreign introduction). The first
records that make reference to tulips brought from
Turkey speak of fragrant, early blooming flowers with
drooping stems that would seem to be a perfect
description of T. suaveolons. On the first images
(lithographs), we do not see tulips with rounded petals
(Pena and Lobel, 1570; Clusius, 1576; Dodoens, 1578;
Besler, 1613). Bailey (1950:3394) concludes his
thoughts about the original types with the notion that
late-blooming tulips came from the T. gesneriana group
and early-blooming tulips from T. suaveolons (Duc van
Thol). With the cross-breeding of tulips, the number and
variety of tulip types greatly increased. Even before
tulip mania, Dutch growers used selection to raise tulips
with the pointed and rounded petals which even today
are the most treasured feature of the tulip. The wide
variety of shape and colour is apparent in Besler’s
collection of 53 coloured lithographs (Hortus
Eystettensis) and the book entitled Cruydtboeck in
which Matthias de l’Obel describes 41 varieties of
tulips.
One person named Carolus Clusius was decisive for the
introduction of the tulip into Europe when he planted
the first tulip bulb in the Leiden botanical garden in the
Netherlands (Time Table for Tulips, 2008). He wrote
and published numerous botanical works of which
Historia stirpium per Pannonium (1583) was important
for Slovenia. The work comprises a study of Austrian
and Hungarian flora that Clusius researched while
managing the construction of the Viennese garden of
medicinal plants. He described about 34 variegated
early tulips and some later types, all of them being part
of the T. sylvestris group (Missel, 2008). In 1592, he
accepted an invitation to Leiden and took the position of
head gardener in the botanical garden. He was assisted
in his work by Dirck Outgaerzoon Cluyts, also known
by the name Clutius (Hyams, 1961). He cultivated a
number of tulips in his garden and carefully kept them
to himself. Tulip admirers who didn’t want to pay a lot
of money for seed material simply stole them from
Clusius. By this time, tulips had spread through the
Netherlands and the price had risen. Clusius also
introduced the tulip to England (around 1577) where
they remained in fashion until the beginning of the 18th
century when they were supplanted by foreign trees
(Bailey, 1950). Matteo Caccini was another important
figure for the wider dissemination of the tulip
throughout Europe, sending out a variety of tulips
(Tulipa saxatilis, Tulipa chrysantha, Tulipa clusiana) as
well as pictures of rarer types from his garden (Masson,
1972: 74). Caccini closely collaborated with Francesco
Caetani. Caetani’s manuscripts published around 1630
refer to parcels of bulbs from Constantinople, Paris,
Avignon, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Frankfurt.
The bulbs were intended for the Cisterna gardens
(Masson, 1972: 182). Caccini raised approximately
15,000 tulips and 29,000 anemones in his garden
(Schnapper, 1991: 176). It is clear from Caetani’s
correspondence that he traded samples with various
representatives of society (merchants, nobles, and
monks). From his correspondence, we are able to follow
the names of people with whom he exchanged plants
and bulbs (Caccini, Charles d’Arenberg, Acquaviva,
Sweerts, and Bartolotti).
As early as 1600, an extensive range of tulips was being
cultivated south of Haarlem (Wagenweg, Kleine
Houtweg). In 1612, Emanuel Sweerts published the first
sales catalogue of tulips. Tulip mania (1626-1637) came
soon after. By 1661, approximately 120 different tulips
were recorded (Branderberg). But tulip mania was not
limited to Europe. Between 1700 and 1730, a similar
fever seized Turkey then under the reign of Mohammed
Lalizar, a great tulip enthusiast who imported a large
quantity of tulips into Turkey from the Netherlands. The
high price of tulips and the rich buyers encouraged the
publication of a number of high-quality catalogues for
which the illustrations were done by well-known artists
such as Pieter Holsteijn the Younger, Peter Schangen,
and Jacob Marrel (Missel, 2008).
During the 18th century, the fame of tulips slowly faded
and hyacinths took their place. During that same
century, tulips were introduced to America. (J.B. der

The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009 137
Scoot was one of the first travelling merchants selling
decorative bulbs).
2.3 The Introduction of Tulips to Slovenian Lands
The first data about the planting of tulips in Slovenia
dates back to 1689 when Valvasor (1689: 174)
described the collection of non-indigenous plants at the
castle park at Lisičje pri Škofljici in his book Die Ehre
des Herzogthums Krain. Slovenian lands were under a
strong Italian influence during the Renaissance.
Builders and artists in Slovenia worked to introduce
novelties in structural and garden architecture as well as
in plantings. The reasons for the introduction of various
plants can be attributed to the imitation of Italian
fashion, which also dictated the rising trend of
flowering bulbs (Masson, 1972: 180). We also find
proof of the connection with Italian cultivators in the
Italian names of many types of tulips in the Slovenian
lexicon. An analysis of the assortment of tulips in 17th
century European collections indicates that tulips came
not only from Italy, but also from Germany and the
Netherlands. The participation of Slovenian lands in the
Spanish-Dutch wars was an important factor in creating
a connection between Slovenian lands and the
Netherlands in the 16th century. At that time, the
Netherlands united with Belgium and parts of northern
France to create the so-called Low Countries which
were especially known for the cultivation of tulips. We
discover in Valvasor’s inventory that the owner of
Lisičje Castle, Lenart Merharič Fabjanič, served in the
military in the Netherlands for twenty-four years.
During his years there, he brought home many
decorative bulbs. According to statements of Valvasor,
his son Lenart (Leonard) Fabjanič gave the castle
garden with a second blossoming. Valvasor’s pictorial
representation of the castle garden is from this period
(Valvasor, 1689: 173). That the owner of the tulip
collection, Lenard Merharič Fabjanič, was an educated
man and fervent botanist is also evident from the
testimonies that Valvasor made about his many non-
indiginous plants. In addition, Fabjanič’s castle
contained botanical records by other important writers,
above all Clusius, Bauhin, and D. Jacobi Theodor
Tabernaemontani in which tulips are divided into
groups. Fabjanič also had contact with German lands
through the Berlin professor and doctor Henrik
Munting. In the Lisičje Castle records, Valvasor
stumbled across an extensive inventory of tulips
available in Germany that were cultivated by Munting
and represent an important source of study of tulip
varieties from the 17th century (Valvasor, 1689: 176).
The collecting period at Lisičje Castle ended in 1710
with the death of its last owner, Ernest Engelhart, the
grandson of Lenart (Leonard) Merharič Fabjanič
(Smole, 1982: 257).
Presented below is an inventory of tulips translated from
Valvasor’s original text. It is necessary to emphasize the
complexity that arises from the names of the various
bulbs. The author himself warns the reader of this,
noting that the same type of tulip may have many names
depending on the individual language of the nation from
which it came. In 1689, there are 107 types of tulips in
the Lisičje collection:

Marko DOBRILOVIČ
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009
138
Table 1: Presence of tulips from Lisičje in European collections.
Admiral von Gent Admiral del mar Africana
Agata Amoraglio Deman Alagrand Groll
Agata marlin Agata Giocosea Agata d'Rampar
Amadis Angles Apollo
Arateur Aria Armida
Assure Aurora Celeste Bella Helena
Bella d'Ramar Brabantea Bella d'Brussel Costante
Bella d'Brussel Vagabunda Bagina
Bauger Ballada d'Olanda Blanc Bichot
Beleonberg Bella Diana Bella Sylvia
Bellina Belvedere Blumashe
Cardinale Costante Cardinal Vagabondo Cittadella Cornart
Corno di Cervo Cistenmoher Cyrus
Duste Don Diego Dulsina
Clairmond Cesar d' Marans Doclman
Florida Doman Gabriel Gial Holandia
Gial Monde Grand Duce Magnifeur
Maller Ottoman Paragon Costante Palamedes
Semper Augustus Tragena Echomede
Emphemerides Euphrosyne Foret
Gial Doman Grand Duc d'Fiorenz Gial Blucart
Gial Alagrand Gial Holandia Gail Horlat
Giallo Coronato Gatta Biatana Giallo Rosso
Jacosa Liste Lydias Bizar
Lacle Bleionberge Marstion Superbe Monsuest
Marent Starcluit Molsuich Meliaris
Orgelosa Paraches Raiselle Perfetta
Pussart Pastor Fido Piccardo
Portuges Purpur Foret Purpurea Bianco Obscura
Pypinis Romana Rex
Ratevul Rottan Solo Regal
Senateur Sollicitant Spigelle Salamelech
Sol Tornei Delphin Triumphante
Veste Diana Vilana Vice-re d’Ingil-terra
Zystenmacher
Comparison of Slovenian and European collections of tulips.
Featured in the table below are data about the 107 tulips cultivated at Lisičje Castle that appear in individual
European collections.
Vir (zbirka) leto poreklo (država,
kraj)
zastopanost sort
(št.)
Lisičje (sinonimi) 1689 Slovenija
(Ljubljana) 107
Elsholstius 1689 Nemčija (Berlin) 23
The Tulip Book P.Cos 1637 Nizozemska
Haarlem 14
Bijzondere Collecties NEHA 1628 Nizozemska
Amsterdam 7
Register Tulpen der Blumen 1637 Nizozemska
Haarlem 4
Lijste van eenighe tulpaen 1637 Nizozemska 4
Floortie-floraas 1636 Nizozemska 5

The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009 139
The particular assortment of tulips from the Lisičje
gardens is most similar to Berlin assortments. Both
collections (Lisičje and Berlin) overlap over a period of
time (of the 107 tulip types cultivated at Lisičje, 23
types appear in the Berlin inventory). We can also find
many types of tulips cultivated in Lisičje in various
Dutch sales catalogues (34 types). Most come from
Haarlem, a region of Amsterdam which was one of the
largest tulip centres in Europe.
The table below shows the presence of Lisičje tulips in
other European countries. The table shows in which
European countries the same types of tulips were
cultivated as at Lisičje, what types they were and how
often they appeared in individual countries (the number
of foreign collections where we have recorded
individual tulips types from Lisičje).
Table 2: Presence of tulips from Lisičje gardens in contemporaneous European collections (Germany, the
Netherlands).
Sorta (Slovenija, Lisičje) Nemčija (št.) Nizozemska
(št.)
Skupno
(št.)
Barbanson 1 2 3
Bella Helena 1 1 2
Olinda 1 4 5
Blijenburgher 1 4 5
Cornart 1 4 5
Semper Augustus 1 1 2
Giallo Rosso 1 1 2
Jacosa 1 2 3
Giallo Coronato 1 2 3
Lacle Bleionberge 1 2 3
Bella d'Brussel Vagabunda 1 - 1
Bauger - 1 1
Bella Diana 1 - 1
Bella Sylvia 1 - 1
Belvedere 1 - 1
Cittadella 1 - 1
Cesar d'Marans - 1 1
Gabriel 1 - 1
Grand duc d'Fiorenz 1 - 1
Molsuich - 1 1
Portuges 1 - 1
Africana 1 1
Agata - 1 1
Agata Marlin - 1 1
Agata d'Rampar - 1 1
Bella d'Brussel Constance 1 - 1
Spigelle 1 - 1
Admiral de Mann 1 1 2
Veste Diana 1 - 1
skupaj 23 34 57
We can also make conclusions about the origins of
specific tulips by their names. In Valvasor’s inventory,
there are 30 tulips with Italian names (Amoraglio
deman, Agata Giocosea, Bellina, Cardinal Vagabondo,
Cittadella, Corno di Cervo, Gial monde, Gial Holandia,
Gial doman, Giallo coronato, Gatta Biatana, Giallo
rosso, Perfetta, Orgelosa...), many with French names
(Agata d’Rampar, Clairmond, Cesar d’Marans,
Emphemerides, Foret, Grand Duc d’Fiorenz, Marstion
Superbe, Meliaris, Triumphante, Pussart, Senateur
Sollicitant, Paraches Raiselle...), German names
(Admiral von Gent., Bauger, Cistenmoher, Maller,
Spigelle, Salamelech, Veste Diana, Zystenmacher...),
and most of all Dutch names (Lacle Bleionberge,
Monsuest, Marent Starcluit...). Descriptions of
collections from that time also allow us to identify the
most valuable type of tulips, namely Semper Augustus,
the price of which reached astronomical levels on the

Marko DOBRILOVIČ
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009
140
European market. In 1624, it was necessary to part with
3,000 guilders for a single bulb (1 guilder =
approximately 6 grams of gold). The following list of
items should give an idea of what that amount of money
could buy at the time: two loads of wheat, four loads of
rye, four fate oxen, five swine, twelve sheep, two
hogsheads of wine, four barrels of beer, two barrels of
butter, a thousand pounds of cheese, one complete bed,
one suit of clothes, one silver tankard and one sizeable
wagon to haul it all away! How much the owner of
Lisičje spent for his collection remains unknown.
In the 17th century, the most highly-regarded tulips were
those with multi-coloured blossoms (broken tulips) of
which the variegated colour was a result of the
introduction of a viral infection rather than a
morphological cause. Tulips with single-coloured
flowers were considerably less appreciated and
therefore less expensive. Analysing the assortment of
tulips at the Lisičje Castle gardens, we conclude that it
had representatives from the three major groups into
which tulips were categorized during the 17th century in
accordance with their colour. Prices were also included
in some inventories of tulips from the era. Not only
were the countries comparable, but the two primary
currencies of the time had comparable values (German
guldens and Dutch guilders).
If we compare the purchase price of tulips at Lisičje
(Valvasor, 1689: 174-175) with those of foreign
suppliers, we conclude that they were considerably
lower. This is due to the fact that, as a result of the
wider cultivation of tulips in the second half of the 17th
century, prices had already fallen. Among the most
expensive tulips in the Lisičje collection (over 1,000
guldens) were Semper Augustus, Cornart, Brabantea,
Giallo Coronato. These were followed by Lacle
Bleionberge, Torneo Delphin, Ottoman Paragon
Costante, Ballada d’Olanda (between 200 and 600
guldens) and by Perfetta, Aurora Celeste, Bella Sylvia
which were the least expensive (under 200 guldens).
4 CONCLUSION
Facts about the introduction, dissemination, and
economic significance of decorative bulbs in the world,
and more precisely in larger European countries, are
well-known (Missel, 2008; Moggach, 1999; Pavord,
1999; Proctor, 1998). In contrast, the early introduction
of decorative bulbs in Slovenia is poorly researched.
Research was conducted into the first introduction of
geofits in Slovenian territory. The principle method of
acquiring necessary data is based on the study of
domestic archival material, provincial chronicles, and
descriptive accounts of the countryside (specifically
Valvasor’s and Vischer’s chronicles) as well as foreign
archival sources.
It has been concluded that the first and most extensive
collection of tulips on Slovenian territory was in the
mid-17th century at the Lisičje Castle park, which
contained more than 107 varieties. On the basis of
studies of foreign tulip collections, the Slovenian
collection is comparable with others, given the origins,
contemporaneity, and economic aspects of tulips in the
collection.
Of the 107 sorts cultivated in Lisičje, twenty-three kinds
were from German lands (mostly from Berlin) and
thirty-four were from the Netherlands (Haarlem). There
were also many samples in the collection without a
known supply source. The origins of these tulips were
determined according to their name. In the inventory
made by Valvasor, most of these were from Dutch
sources, many from French and German sources, and
some thirty from Italian sources.
As far as the economic value of the Lisičje gardens
derived from the purchase prices of Lisičje tulips
(Valvasor, 1689; 174-175) from foreign suppliers, we
conclude that the prices were lower when the collection
was made. This can be explained by the fact that the
increased cultivation of tulips in Slovenia took place in
the second half of the 17th century when the price of
tulips had already fallen in Europe. Nevertheless, the
economic value of the Lisičje gardens was extraordinary
given the social circumstances in Slovenia at the time.
They were clearly ties between Slovenia and Dutch,
German, and Italian suppliers of tulips. In establishing
these links between foreign and Slovenian lands, we
note three important factors. In the 16th century, the
connection between Slovenian lands and the
Netherlands had been enhanced because of the
participation of Slovenians in the Spanish-Dutch war.
Leonhard Merherič, the owner of Lisičje Castle and the
father of the tulip collector Leonhard Merherič Fabjanič,
had worked as a mercenary soldier in this war for
twenty-four years. He was one of the first to bring tulip
bulbs from the Netherlands to Slovenia.
The son of the abovementioned owner of Lisičje castle
made contact with German lands through the Berlin
professor and doctor Henrik Munting, whose inventory

The introduction of decorative bulbs in Slovenia
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009 141
of tulips was discovered in Lisičje by Valvasor
(Valvasor, 1689: 176).
We can assume that the reason for the introduction of
bulbs from Italy had to do with following Italian fashion
and methods in cultivating flowering bulbs. Indirect
evidence of a link to Italian cultivators can be found in
the Italian names of many sorts of tulips in Slovenia.
We can explain the size of the tulip collection at Lisičje
gardens with the popularity of tulips at the time, the
same factors that led to their dissemination throughout
Europe and wider access to them in general. On the
basis of the evaluation of this collection, it is possible to
strongly support the hypothesis that the introduction of
decorative bulbs (and particularly tulips) in Slovenian
lands did not lag far behind the rest of Europe.
5 LITERATURE
Bailey, L.H.1950. The Stanard Cyclopedia of
Horticulture.vol.3, The Macmillan Company, New York:
3393-3403.
Berrall J. 1978. The Garden – An Illustrated History. New
York, Penguin Books: 388 p.
Bijzondere Collecties NEHA,Tulpen, Signatuur Bijzondere
Collecties 254 Periode 1630-1639, Stichting Het
Nederlandsch Economisch-Historisch Archief Amster-
dam. 730 p.
Chancellor, E. 1999. Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of
Financial Speculation. Straus&Giroux, New York: 386 p.
Cos, P. 1637. The Tulip Book.Verzameling van een meenigte
tulipaanen, naar het leven geteekend met hunne naamen,
en swaarte der bollen, zoo als die publicq verkogt zijn, te
Haarlem in den jaare A. 1637, door P. Cos, bloemist te
Haarlem. 1637. Haarlem: 75 p.
Dood-rolle ende groef-maal van Floortie-Floraas / I. Soet,
1636, 1 p.
Garber, P. 2000. Famous first Bubbles: The Fundamentals of
early Manias. Cambridge, MIT Press, 163 p.
Hall, D. 1940. The Genus Tulipa. The Royal Horticulture
Society, London, 1940, 171 p.
Hawks, E. 1928. Pioneers of Plant Study. New York, The
Macmillan Company, 277 p.
Hocquette, M. 1951. Histoire générale des jardins.
Bibliothèque Universitaire Place Georges – Lyon, 161 p.
Hüttig,O. 1879. Geschichte des gartenbaus. Verlag von
Wiegandt, Hempel & Parey, Berlin, 213 p.
Hyams E. 1971. A History of Gardens and Gardening. 1.
izdaja. London, J.M. Dent and Son, LTD, 345 p.
Horace, McFarland in sod. 1952. Garden bulbs in color.
Macmillan Company, New York, 296 s.
Lijste van eenighe tulpaen : verkocht aen de meest-biedende
op den 5 Februarij 1637 : op de sael van de Nieuwe
Schutters Doelen, int bywesen van de E. Heeren Wees-
meesteren ende voochden, ghecoomen van Wouter
Bartelmiesz. Winckel, in sijn leven casteleyn van de
Oude Schutters Doelen tot Alckmaer. 1637, 1 p.
Masson G. 1972. Italian Flower Collectors’ gardens. V: The
Italian Garden. Coffin D. (ed.). Washington, Dumbarton
Oaks Trustees for Harvard University, 114 p.
Masson, G. 1966. Italian Gardens. London, Thames and
Hudson, 288 p.
Meyer, F. 1951. Die Freiland – Schmuckstauden, VIII.
Tanacetum bis Zygadenus mit besonderer Bearbeitung
der gärtnerisch wichtigen Gattungen Trollius, Tulipa,
Veronica und Viola. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 104 p.
Missel, L. 2008. Sources on the Dutch Tulip History, 6 p.
http://library.wur.nl/desktop/tulp/history.html, 8.8.2008
Moggach,D. 1999. Tulip fever. London, Heinemann, 259 p.
Mosser M in Teyssot G. 1991.The History of Garden
Design.The Western Tradition from the Renaissance to
the Present Day. London, Thames and Hudson, 543 p.
Nehring, D. 1991.The Garden Design of Joseph Furttenbach
the Elder. V: The History of Garden Design. Thames and
Hudson, London: 243-253.
O’Malley T. 1992. Art and Science in the Design of Botanic
Gardens, 1730-1830. V: Garden history: issues,
approaches, methods. Hunt D. (ur.). Washington,
Dumbarton Oaks: 279-303.
Pavord, A. 1999. The tulip. London, Bloomsbury, 439 p.
Proctor, R. 1998. Tulips with a bright future. Horticulture, 95
(8): 54-58.
Register van de prijsen der bloemen, zijnde de derde samen-
spraeck, tusschen Gaergoed ende Waermond, inhoudende
het vervolgh van den op ende ondergangh van flora
.1637. Haerlem : Adriaen Roman, 24 p.
Samen-spraeck, tusschen Waermondt ende Gaergoedt,
nopende de opkomste ende ondergangh van flora /
Adriaen Roman. 1637.Haerlem : Adriaen Roman, 24 p.
Schenk, P.K. 1968. Le Rassenlijst voor tulpen. Instituut voor
de Veredeling van Tuinbouwgewassen, Wageningen,
209 p.
Schnapper, A. 1991. Gardens and Plant Collections in France
and Italy in the Seventeenth Century. V: The History of
Garden Design. Thames and Hudson, London: 175-177.
Smole M. 1982. Graščine na nekdanjem Kranjskem.
Ljubljana, Državna založba Slovenije, 257 p.
Synge, M.P. 1956. Dictionary of gardening. Oxford, At the
Clarendon press: 78-80.
Time table for tulip. 2008. http://www.bulb.com/templates/
dispatcher.asp?page_id=21633, 8.8.2008.

Marko DOBRILOVIČ
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 93 - 1, maj 2009
142
Tongiorgi Tomasi, L. 1991. Botanical Gardens of the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth century Garden. V: The
History of Garden Design, Thames and Hudson, London:
81-84.
Troost-brief, aen alle bedroefde Bloemmisten, die treuren over
't sterven of 't overlijden van Flora, Goddinne der
Floristen. 1637, 24 p.
Tulpenboek van de bloemist P. Cos / Carla Oldenburger-
Ebbers. 1992.Tuinjournaal 9 (3): 45-50.
Tweede samen-spraeck tusschen Waermondt ende Gaergoedt,
zijnde het vervolgh van den op ende ondergangh van
Flora . 1637. Haerlem, Adriaen Roman, 24 p.
Valvasor V. 1689. Die Ehre des Herzogthums Krain, 3. Band.
Rudolfswerth, J. Krajec, 730 p. .