The idea of a room properly studied for plants goes back to the end of 16th century, when lemons were introduced in Great Britain, though it was simply a heated, protected placet o save them from the vey cold winter. Only in the 17th century people starter using more equipped building, later called orangeries from the citrus fruit which were grown inside.
These buildings went on evolving until the end of the century, when they were built with solid roofs and large, fashionable windows. Light for plants became gradually an indispensabile need and people used glass even for the roofs. At the beginning, these first greenhouses were utilised as drawing-room suites, but it was only in the Victorian Age that the conservatore became the one we know today, thanks to the re-found botanical passion.
Being an extension of the house, the conservatore was aslo seen a san informal placet o socialize, in opposition to the Victorian residences with their official cerimonies. It became the place where it was possibile to walk among exotic, luxuriant plants from all over the world like orchids, lemons, palms, bougainvilleas, jasmines and many others; the conservatore was also the ideal place where to drink a cup of tea in the pur est colonal style. At the beginning, they were built with wood but later, thanks toh e technical improvement in the melting of metals, they became wonderful structures of glass and iron.