Francisco Hernández expedition (1570–1577)

Among some of the most important achievements of the expedition were the discovery and subsequent introduction in Europe of a number of new plants that did not exist in the Old World, but that quickly gained acceptance and become very popular among European consumers, such as pineapples, cocoa, corn, and many others.

He also studied the culture and medical achievements of the native Nahua peoples, taking notes and preparing numerous illustrations assisted by three indigenous painters who had been baptized as Antón, Baltazar Elías and Pedro Vázquez.

Because Hernández's work included numerous descriptions of unknown plants and names that appeared incomprehensible, King Philip II appointed Nardo Antonio Recchi, Archiater physician of Napoles, to prepare a compilation of the texts for publication.

However, after Recchi died his work remained unpublished and was ultimately purchased by Federico Angelo Cesi, an Italian scientist, naturalist, and founder of the Accademia dei Lincei.

After Cesi's death another edition was published in 1648 by Johannes Schreck and Fabio Colonna as Nova plantarum, animalium et mineralium mexicanorum historia a Francisco Hernández in indis primum compilata, de inde a Nardo Antonio Reccho in volumen digesta.