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The Hambury Botanic Gardens were created in 1867 when sir Thomas Hambury, holidaying on the Costa Azzurra, was stuck by the beauty of Capo Martola, near Ventimiglia, and began to purchase, piece by piece, part of the land which later amounted to eighteen hectares. A pastureland zone was invilved, bounded on three sides, by mountains which protected it from the wind and, to the south east, washed by a flawless sea. Sir Thomas, who was very rich, had travelled particularly in the Far East and thought of transforming this small area into a complex to receive exotic plants from different countries, helped by this brother Daniel, a pharmacologist who came from England for this purpose. In a short space of time everything was transformed: villa Orengo, also purchased together with the land, was restored, country buildings were built or re-adapted, the land was worked to receive plants and seeds.