The new Santa Maria Novella line: a return to the roots
To develop the four new references of the 'Medici Gardens line, the scientific team of Santa Maria Novella worked meticulously, through a philological approach of meticulous reconstruction which allowed the Florentine maison to trace the origins of some specific varieties of flowers and plants, whose history is intertwined precisely with that of the Medici.
In particular, the line draws inspiration from Villa Medicea di Castello and Villa Medicea La Petraia.
L'Iris, which was Officina's first Eau de Parfum to debut in 2022, represents the essence of time itself. The name, which is that of one of the most appreciated outside and present in many cultures, has become a symbol of the city of Florence since the victory of the Guelphs in 1266. We are therefore dealing with an icon.
For her, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella has created an intimate and strong-willed fragrance.
Top notes of galbanum, Timur pepper and neroli meet geranium, magnolia champaca and jasmine sambac in the heart. At the base, moss and grey' amber, but above all the concrete of Florentine iris. An incredibly precious raw material, obtained after six years of decantation from the rhizomes of iris flowers grown on the Florentine hills.
La Bizzarria is an ode to singularity. The fragrance bears the name of a very rare natural periclinal chimera of bitter orange, cedar and lemon. Cultivated by the Medici family in the exceptional greenhouses they tended in the 17th century, it was noticed for the first time in 1644. Having disappeared for a long time, it was rediscovered in 1980 among the botanical curiosities of Villa Medicea di Castello.
The olfactory architecture of Bizzarria Eau de Parfum fascinates with timur pepper and the ambiguous and unmistakable sweetness of neroli. It continues by describing its polytropic qualities with the heart notes of absolute orange blossom , davana and ginger . At the base, cedar wood and moss.
Jasmine brings with it a long-lived history: it arrived from Goa in 1688 as a gift for Cosimo III De' Medici; it was a particular variety, with an unusually high number of petals per flower, more like a small rose than a classic jasmine.
'Jasmine of Goa', now also known as 'Gelsomino del Granduca', soon became the favorite of Cosimo, Grand Duke of Tuscany at the time. He was so fascinated by it that he forbade its cultivation: only his group of botanists and experts were allowed to properly perpetuate this magnetic and intriguing species. They did it with care, in a secret greenhouse specially built in the Medici Villa of Castello: the "Stufa dei Mugherini".
The bold olfactory construction of Gelsomino Eau de Parfum brings this story into our daily lives: bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper welcome us in the top notes. In the heart, the mystery is revealed with the absolute of jasmine sambac, geranium and ylang ylang. Finally, it opens fully with cedarwood and musk.
The prodigious flower of the Magnolia Grandiflora conquers twice: at first sight and then with its fragrance. It is a majestic evergreen tree whose traces can be found as far back as prehistoric times. An imposing specimen of Magnolia Grandiflora adorns the facade of the Villa Medicea di Castello: the species arrived in Florence in the 18th century and was soon cultivated in the properties of the Medici family.
Magnolia Eau de Parfum embraces all these characteristics with a powerful opening on white rose and geranium. It expresses its complex depth with a heart of magnolia grandiflora, paired with absolutes of magnolia champaca and jasmine sambac. At the base, amber and moss give the final touch.
