Santa Maria Novella: More Than Eight Centuries of Fragrance at the World’s Oldest Pharmacy

“Tradition and Innovation: that is the motto of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, and the principle I have tried to put into practice both in expanding our product range and in opening stores overseas.”
—Eugenio Alphandery, former president

Essential Information

Official name: Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
Origins: 1221, the year the Dominican friars arrived in Florence
Official start of commercial activities: 1612, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany formally granted the name “Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica”
Headquarters: Via della Scala 16, Florence, Italy
Official websites: eu.smnovella.com / jp.smnovella.com (official Japanese website)
Current owner: Italmobiliare, an investment holding company owned by the Pesenti family

A note on pronunciation: the name is generally rendered in Japanese as “Santa Maria Novella,” while the Italian pronunciation is closer to “Santa Marìa Novella,” with a lengthened, stressed “i” in Maria. This article also uses the abbreviation SMN where appropriate.

The Founders and the Origins of the Brand

Eight Hundred Years, Beginning in a Monastic Herb Garden

The story of Santa Maria Novella begins on the outskirts of thirteenth-century Florence. In 1221, Dominican friars arrived in the city and settled in a small church outside the walls, Santa Maria Inter Vineas, meaning “Saint Mary among the Vineyards.” They cultivated herbs and medicinal plants in the monastery garden and began preparing remedies for its infirmary: ointments, balsams, medicinal creams made from aromatic resins, and elixirs, or universal remedies.

At first, this was only a modest undertaking to treat the friars themselves. Before long, however, the quality and healing properties of their herbs became known beyond the monastery walls.

Dardano Acciaioli and the Chapel of San Niccolò

A turning point came in 1334. Dardano Acciaioli, a wealthy merchant from one of Florence’s most distinguished families, was cured of an illness by the friars’ treatments. In gratitude, he donated the magnificent Chapel of San Niccolò to them. This chapel remains the heart of SMN’s boutique and museum at Via della Scala 16 in Florence.

Fighting the Plague: The Birth of Acqua di Rose

In the mid-fourteenth century, the Black Death devastated Florence as it swept across Europe. Amid this catastrophe, the friars distilled roses to make rose water, Acqua di Rose, and used it as a measure against the plague. A surviving receipt recording the sale of Acqua di Rose in 1381 is considered one of SMN’s oldest commercial records. Used for disinfection and to purify spaces, this rose water had only limited effectiveness in stopping infectious disease. Nevertheless, it remains one of SMN’s signature products today as a fragrant facial toner.

Caterina de’ Medici and “The Queen’s Water”

The year was 1533, and one of the most dramatic moments in SMN’s history was about to unfold. Caterina de’ Medici, a young noblewoman of Florence’s illustrious Medici family, later known as Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France, was to marry King Henry II of France.

Among her wedding entourage, Caterina included Renato Bianco, a perfumer raised by Dominican friars. According to legend, Renato was an orphan taken in by the monastery and taught the secrets of herbal distillation by one of the friars. For this special occasion, Caterina commissioned the friars to create a fragrance recalling the elegance and refinement of Florence. The result was Acqua della Regina, “The Queen’s Water.”

“Acqua della Regina pays tribute to the fragrance that Caterina de’ Medici commissioned Renato Bianco, who had been raised by the Dominican friars of Santa Maria Novella, to create as a wedding gift for the King of France. Italian citrus fruits intertwine with petitgrain, neroli, and lavender in a refreshing citrus bouquet.”
—Santa Maria Novella official website

This perfume had a groundbreaking feature. At a time when perfume bases were made with olive oil or vinegar, Acqua della Regina is said to have been the first alcohol-based perfume. In this sense, it may be regarded as a forebear of modern perfumery.

After moving to Paris, Renato became known as René le Florentin, “René the Florentine.” He opened a perfume shop on the Pont Saint-Michel and won the patronage of Parisian aristocratic society. Caterina herself is widely known for bringing perfume culture to the French court, and some hold that this Florentine monastery was, in fact, the foundation of the French perfume industry.

Legend also gives René a darker side: he is said to have been employed by Queen Caterina to prepare poisons to eliminate her enemies. Whatever their historical truth, these stories undoubtedly deepen SMN’s mysterious appeal.

The Pharmacy Opens to the Public, and a Golden Age Begins

In 1542, the friars finally opened the pharmacy’s doors to the public. Then, in 1612, under Fra Angiolo Marchissi, it officially began commercial activities as the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica, also receiving from the Grand Duke of Tuscany the title Fonderia di Sua Altezza Reale, “His Royal Highness’s Foundry.”

In the eighteenth century, Fra’ Cosimo Bucelli, the Officina’s pharmacist, made a major contribution. In 1749, he systematically compiled SMN’s vast collection of recipes in a single volume, I segreti della Fonderia di Sua Altezza Reale, “The Secrets of His Royal Highness’s Foundry.” Bucelli also perfected the recipe for the medicinal liqueur Alchermes in 1743. Made with sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, and colored crimson with dried cochineal insects, this distinctive liqueur was prescribed to new mothers to aid their recovery after childbirth.

Nationalization and the Stefani Family Era

The wave of Italian unification reached SMN as well. In 1866, the confiscation of church property made the Officina a possession of the Kingdom of Italy. It was subsequently transferred to Cesare Augusto Stefani, the nephew of the last Dominican superior, Damiano Beni. The Stefani family would carry on the business for four generations.

Over time, however, its former glory gradually faded. The monastery courtyard was too small for systematic cultivation, the machinery had become obsolete, and the workforce had dwindled to just three people. The Officina, for all its legendary history, was facing a crisis that threatened its very survival.

Eugenio Alphandery: Renewal at the Hands of an Engineer

The story returns to a sunny morning in 1958. A boy of seven or eight entered the Officina on Via della Scala, led by the hand by his great-grandmother. While she bought soaps and liqueurs, the bored boy is said to have wandered around the shop taking apart its furniture.

“I was bored, so I took the furniture apart.”
—Eugenio Alphandery

The boy was Eugenio Alphandery. He would later transform SMN’s fortunes.

Having studied mechanical engineering, Alphandery visited the Officina in 1989 to repair an old, broken machine. He was working in the textile industry at the time, but recognized the Officina’s potential. Even so, he hesitated for a while, having little interest in cosmetics or perfume. An unexpected figure helped him make up his mind: the celebrated French actress Catherine Deneuve told him that SMN’s products were “precisely for people who seek genuine luxury, far removed from ostentation.”

“At major cosmetics companies, half or more of costs go toward marketing. What other companies invest in advertising, we invest in our products.”
—Eugenio Alphandery

Alphandery demonstrated his entrepreneurial flair. He moved production to a modern laboratory on the outskirts of Florence and turned the vacated historic spaces into a museum and café, enriching the visitor experience. He bought farmland to grow raw materials and began developing Asian markets. As a result, the company’s own stores expanded to 75 worldwide, and sales tripled over ten years to €27 million.

His engineering background also proved valuable in manufacturing. Since there were no machines on the market suited to SMN’s particular natural ingredients and ancient methods, he designed and invented much of the equipment himself.

“There were no machines on the market suited to our unusual ingredients and manufacturing processes, so I had to invent much of the equipment myself.”
—Eugenio Alphandery

The Italmobiliare Era and a New Chapter

In September 2020, Italmobiliare, the investment holding company owned by the Pesenti family, acquired a majority stake in SMN. In 2021, it purchased the remaining 20% for €40 million, making SMN a wholly owned subsidiary. At the same time, Gian Luca Perris, who comes from a perfume-industry family, became CEO. Born in Rome, Perris built his career as a perfumer at the Perris Group, founded in Milan in 1981 by his father, Michele Perris, and has also worked on his own brand, Perris Monte Carlo (in Japanese).

Perris described the challenges he faced on arrival:

“When I arrived, there was basically no organization. It was a fairly substantial brand globally, but there was no management. No one in charge of the Asia-Pacific market. No global commercial director. No marketing team. No dedicated e-commerce staff. We had to rebuild the organization at every step.”
—Gian Luca Perris

He described SMN as “a startup with 800 years of history.” Perris’s appointment came just before 2021, the brand’s eight-hundredth anniversary, and in preparation for that milestone SMN unveiled its first eau de parfum, L’Iris. The fragrance quickly became one of the brand’s bestsellers.

“There is no point in SMN becoming a museum. It is important to keep innovating while respecting our roots. The friars were great innovators. They studied new ingredients, created new formulas, and worked with the Medici family to invest in chemistry and pharmacy.”
—Gian Luca Perris

In 2024, Giovanna Paoloni succeeded Perris as CEO. It was subsequently announced that Ludivine Pont would take the helm as the new CEO from September 2025.

The Brand’s Commitments

Natural Ingredients and In-House Cultivation

At the foundation of SMN’s products is an uncompromising commitment to natural ingredients. It owns a 15,000-square-meter farm on the outskirts of Florence, where it cultivates approximately 2,500 species of plants. With a few exceptions, such as vetiver and sandalwood, which do not grow in Florence, almost all raw materials are grown in-house. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used, and organic cultivation is rigorously practiced.

Particularly noteworthy are the roots of iris (in Japanese). Grown in the hills around Florence, the iris is aged for six years after harvesting, then distilled to extract a tiny quantity of essential oil, concrète d’iris. It is said that fifteen tonnes of dried roots yield just one liter of essence, making it one of the most precious materials in perfumery.

Combining Traditional Methods with Modern Technology

The factory acquired in 2000 in northern Florence is about three kilometers from the Via della Scala store. Here, ancient methods are faithfully maintained alongside modern technology. For example, soap flakes are mixed with milk and molded, then dried and aged for thirty days in special ventilated cabinets. This process makes the soap last approximately three times as long as ordinary soap. At least 500 bars are individually carved and wrapped by hand each day.

Quality control uses an analytical instrument known as an “electronic nose,” enabling even slight deviations in ingredients to be detected. Advanced quality-control procedures include extended durability testing of creams at a high temperature of 45°C. At the same time, all products are made without animal testing.

Packaging and Bottle Design

SMN is known for deliberately maintaining almost the same packaging style for centuries. Classical frosted-glass bottles with engraved labels and restrained designs reflecting the aesthetic sensibility of Renaissance Florence possess a timeless beauty unaffected by fashion. In recent years, however, there have been reports of a move, for environmental reasons, from frosted to clear glass and from engraved labels to stickers on some products.

A Philosophy of Not Advertising

SMN has long been known for consistently avoiding advertising. Alphandery’s position, “What other companies spend on advertising, we invest in the products themselves,” is deeply embedded in the brand’s DNA. Customers discover it through word of mouth, travel guidebooks, and visits to the Florence store. An average of as many as 2,000 visitors a day come to its Via della Scala premises.

The Fragrance Lineup

SMN has at least 600 products, encompassing not only perfume but also body care, soaps, candles, home fragrances, liqueurs, and foods. The following is an overview of its principal fragrance categories.

The Eau de Cologne Collection: Acqua di Colonia

At the heart of SMN’s world of scent is an eau de cologne collection comprising at least 25 fragrances. Loved by royalty, aristocrats, and intellectuals since the nineteenth century, the collection is distinguished by its refined lightness.

Representative creations include:

Acqua della Regina: SMN’s oldest fragrance, created for Caterina de’ Medici in 1533. A refreshing citrus bouquet of Italian citrus, neroli, rosemary, cloves, lavender, and musk.
Pot Pourri: Top notes of bergamot, bitter orange, and laurel lead into a heart of lavender, thyme, cloves, and rosemary. Patchouli, cedarwood, and Peru balsam provide a warm, enveloping base. An aromatic fragrance emblematic of Florence.
Melograno: A spicy oriental inspired by the pomegranate. Rose, ylang-ylang, patchouli, and musk intertwine in a luscious composition.
Ambra: An oriental created in 1828, distinguished by the powerful smoky note of birch, mingling with bergamot, neroli, lavender, and sandalwood.
Patchouli: An earthy, powerful patchouli fragrance with a monastic depth.

I Giardini Medicei: The Eau de Parfum Collection

L’Iris arrived in 2022 as SMN’s first eau de parfum in its 800-year history. Three more creations joined it in 2023 to form I Giardini Medicei, “The Medici Gardens.” The collection was inspired by the plants encountered during visits to the gardens of Villa Medicea di Castello and Villa Medicea La Petraia, created by the Medici family between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

L’Iris: An homage to the iris, Florence’s emblem. It uses iris concrete aged for six years in the Florentine hills.
Bizzarria: A citrus fragrance inspired by the fruit of bizzarria, a curious hybrid of bitter orange, etrog, and lemon discovered in 1644 and once thought lost. It was rediscovered in 1980 at Villa Medicea di Castello.
Gelsomino: Inspired by gelsomino del Granduca, a jasmine from Goa given to Cosimo III de’ Medici by the King of Portugal in 1688. Cosimo III is said to have been so captivated by the flower that he prohibited anyone else from growing it and built a secret greenhouse, the Stufa dei Mugherini, at the Castello villa.
Magnolia: A radiant composition centered on Magnolia grandiflora flowers, with white rose, Arabian jasmine, and amber.

Later additions included Quercia, meaning “oak”, Incenso, meaning “incense”, and Acqua, meaning “water,” bringing the collection to its current total of seven fragrances.

Traditional Preparations

It is in areas beyond perfume that SMN’s essence as a monastic pharmacy truly emerges.

Pot Pourri: Buds, petals, leaves, and roots grown without pesticides in the Tuscan hills are harvested by hand, steeped with essences in huge earthenware jars that have been used for centuries, sealed with wax, and aged for several months. This ancient production method is still preserved. The fragrance lasts nine to twelve months.
Aceto Aromatico, “Seven Thieves’ Vinegar”: An aromatic vinegar associated with a legend about seven thieves who robbed the dead during the plague. Each knew just one ingredient, so all seven had to be present to make it. It is now sold as a collector’s item.
Alchermes: A liqueur based on the recipe perfected by Fra’ Cosimo Bucelli in 1743. Colored crimson with cochineal insects, it was recognized as a traditional Tuscan agri-food product in 2003.
Melograno in Terracotta: A pomegranate-shaped home fragrance handmade from Italian terracotta. The ceramic is infused with Melograno fragrance and slowly releases it into the surrounding space, making this one of SMN’s iconic products.

Incidentally…

A theory about the origin of eau de cologne: The young perfumer Giovanni Paolo Feminis is said to have moved to Cologne, Germany, in 1725, bringing Acqua della Regina with him. He reproduced it there and named it Eau de Cologne after the city. Thus, one theory traces the globally used term “eau de cologne” to SMN. However, the theory that Giovanni Maria Farina coined the name in 1709 is more widely accepted.
A connection with Leonardo da Vinci: Popes stayed at the monastery of Santa Maria Novella when visiting Florence in the Middle Ages, and Leonardo da Vinci also had a studio there at one point. A bottle said to have been designed by Leonardo was once kept in the shop.
A connection with Nicole Kidman: In a women’s magazine, the actress Nicole Kidman once named SMN’s Muschio Oro as her favorite fragrance. SMN respects its customers’ privacy and does not use celebrities in its advertising, except when customers themselves have made their preferences public.
An unusual story from the old recipe books: Alphandery has laughingly recalled finding face-cream recipes in the old formularies with “snake venom” and “bull dung” as their “secret ingredients.” “Of course, those are no longer in the range.”
“The world’s most beautiful shop,” welcoming 2,000 visitors a day: The Florence flagship on Via della Scala comprises a grand sales hall converted from a former chapel, an old sacristy retaining Renaissance frescoes, the Antica Spezieria, an old pharmacy displaying antique compounding equipment, a tearoom, and a museum. Shopping beneath the vaulted ceiling decorated with Paolino Sarti’s frescoes of the four continents is a cultural experience in itself.