The Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. The store in Florence, Italy opened to the public in 1612, but the fragrances and body products are based on recipes that the Dominican friars of Florence had been developing (using herbs from the monastery gardens) since the 13th century. It was held by the Dominicans until the late 19th century when it became a private business. Today they market a wide range of fragrances, bath and body products, and home fragrances.
In 2021, Santa Maria Novella was acquired by the investment firm Italmobiliare.
See fragrance reviews for Eva, Melograno, Zagara, Acqua di Colonia, Ginestra, Marescialla, Acqua di Cuba.
See bath & body reviews for Crema Per Le Mani, Melograno bath & body products.
See home fragrance review for Melograno Terra Cotta Pomegranate.
Recent fragrances from Santa Maria Novella
Recent fragrance releases include Citta di Kyoto (2005), Angels of Florence (2006), Toscano (2007), Ottone & Porcellana (2010), Alba di Seoul (2012), Cala Rossa (2014), Cinquanta (2015), Lana (2017).
Where to buy
Where to buy: LafcoNY is the US distributor so has the largest selection in the US, but you can also find the line at Aedes or Beautyhabit. There are also Santa Maria Novella boutiques in Bal Harbor, Los Angeles and Chevy Chase. In London, try the Santa Maria Novella boutique; in Brussels, try Senteurs d'Ailleurs.
Website
Further reading
See all articles on Now Smell This tagged Santa Maria Novella.