Magdalen College was founded as Magdalen Hall, half way up the High Street in Oxford in 1448. The founder was William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester. Waynflete was greatly influenced by Renaissance ideas about education and as his ambitions grew he managed to acquire a large tract of land beyond the walls of Oxford on which to build an entirely new College, dedicated to St Mary Magdalen. Magdalen was among the first colleges in Oxford to teach science and established in the 17th century its connection with the Physic Garden, on the south side of Magdalen Bridge, which is today the Oxford Botanic Garden. Magdalen houses some rare 17th century Syrian ceramics, fine prints and paintings by Pietro Lorenzetti, Poussin, Kneller, Savery and a fine oil portrait of Cardinal Newman by Jennings.