The Mediterranean Sea is the heart of the Old World; it is its precondition and its life. 

G. W. F. Hegel, Reason in History

Thanks to its geographical position, the Mediterranean is open, vibrant with trade, and constantly flowing. All the countries of ancient history lie in this part of the Earth. The Mediterranean is the arena of world history. It is the cradle of Humanism characterised by the incessant mingling of tendencies toward the natural and artificial, toward the local and global. 

The new botanical garden of Barcelona is the Mediterranean in miniature. It combines natural and artificial elements and represents what is both local and global. Its local importance starts with the fact that its area of 150 hectares on the hill of Montjuic is among the largest green areas in Barcelona. Its global importance lies in the fact that it spreads over a former landfill, acting as a modern recycling zone and environmental safeguard.