Eau So Scented; Special and Italian

When perfumery was in its infancy, we usually would have thought of France. Still, as far back as the 16th century, Italy was a major centre for producing perfumes and other scented goods. Particularly from the city of Florence blessed with an abundance of natural ingredients; flowers, herbs, and even spices. Sort after by the wealthy, scents were used as both personal fragrances in medicine as well as utilised in religious ceremonies. The all-powerful Medici family, who were powerful patrons of the arts and sciences during this time, played a significant role in promoting the development of perfumery in Florence. Find out more in, Eau So Scented; Special and Italian.

Image Samantha Inman @rememberingtobreathe

The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine banking family in the 16th century. They were also patrons of the arts and sciences, and their support helped to bring about the flowering of the Renaissance.

This grand family played a significant role in promoting the development of perfumery in Florence. These elixirs were highly sought after by the Italian wealthy and the Medici family had a significant influence on the development of perfumery.

They were central to aiding the establishment of Florence as a centre of perfumery, with the first perfumery guild in Florence in 1573 and they also contributed to the growth and development of the industry.

Additionally, the Medici’s patronage of artists and scientists helped to advance the knowledge of botany and chemistry, which in turn led to the development of new methods for extracting and distilling essential oils and other perfumery materials.

Vialla di Poggio a Caiano, lunetta di Giusto Utens Museo di Firenze com’era Florence, Italy

Cosimo de’ Medici 1389–1464, was known to have a particular interest in perfumes importing rare scents from the East. He would also commission perfumers to create new scents and fragrances for the Medici court. And with perfume being a status symbol they literally gifted it to important figures and diplomats. This helped to establish perfumes as a status symbol and luxury item as well as show off their wealth.

It’s also fair to say and interesting too that because of their patronage of the Arts often perfumed bottles would appear in paintings commissioned by them.

At this time the Medici family also introduced a new architectural philosophy which sought to establish and correlate people, nature and architecture. They were famed for their gardens and their knowledge of plants and planting. Their villas and grounds were recreational resorts for leisure and pleasure, yet they were the centre of agricultural activities for the surrounding estates. So much so that in 2013, the Medici fourteen Tuscan Medici Villas were among the masterpieces of world heritage and were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

During the Medici reign, it would have been nuns and monks who usually made the scents. Usually, it was because they grew plants for medical reasons and were knowledgeable botanists. It was these religious orders that influenced the perfume house Santa Maria Novella.

The history of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy is linked to the Dominican friars who established a monastery there in 1221. The friars grew herbs in a garden used them to create medicines and then sold herb-based tinctures, balms, and tonics to the public in 1612. 

And from the tradition of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica, the Perfume-Pharmaceutical Workshop started to make perfumes as early as 1221. It was this religious order that the company that still exists now created its oldest fragrance.

Catherine de’ Medici’s wedding gift to her future husband, Henry II of Valois. Acqua della Regina is a citrusy and elegant tale that enchanted the court of France, and which was created in 1533 by Renato Bianco, a Florentine perfumer who, it is said, was initiated into this art by the friars of Santa Maria Novella.

Now Santa Maria Novella has a new line of Eaux de Parfums, inspired by the variety of botanicals grown in the Medici Villas and gardens; The “I Giardini Medicei” Collection today brings two new scents tho this most illustrious collection.

Firstly comes Ambra. This fascinating olfactory tale weaves a bond between the mysteries of The Orient and the citrus fruits plentiful in Italy and core to the Medici family. Think of it as a perfumed, linked; Florence to the Far East.

Opening with the most distinctive brightness from Bergamot with its facets of sunny, refreshing, and complex angles made up of sweet, citrus, spicy and floral undertones. 

It opens its heart, full of riches with biblical and mystical notes of resinous Myrrh and Amber, bringing balsamic, smoky, and earthy deeply emotive depth to the middle of this grand fragrance.

To round it off as if finishing with romance and beauty, find Patchouli and Sandalwood aiding a softness and earthy powdery warmth to balance the top and join with the heart. This fragrance was created to honour and interpret the winter gardens kept inside the Florentine court of the Medici.

The second elixir is Incenso; a celebration of the warmth that only spices can bring and here they meld with both woods and dry grassy notes bringing a mystical allure with it.

Opening with warm spices like winter sunshine, fragrant Cardamom, sweet spice of pink Pepper, offers an alluring call at the top of the perfume.

Its heart opens to the smoky earthy dryness of Incense, woody earthy and smokey Cypriol bringing a harmonious melding of wood and spices.

Vetiver is its core base with its delicious rooty earthy facets with leather and smoke. This divine grassy root brings together the facets of the top and heart notes wrapping it up into a majestic winter garden scent.

Both of the scents are EDP and stem from the deep artisanal expertise of the house in its deep-set knowledge of blending olfactory notes. Within this collection find eight elixirs that walk a path through the gardens of the Medici from Iris to Magnolia, via Oakwood to Pear.

The Medici family bought Art, Culture Architecture and Science to us via their patronage. They also celebrated gardens cultivated beauty and the pure pleasure of contemplation, allowing for the blooming of the Art of Scent and with this collection we can all still enjoy their joyous gardens.

Find the Eaux de Parfums: Ambra and Incenso Here. General Info Santa Maria Novella.com Here

If you enjoyed reading Eau So Scented; Special and Italian why not read Verse, Velvet and Vanity here

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