Acqua di Parma: A 110-Year Story of Italian Sunshine Captured in a Bottle

“Acqua di Parma was not a brand created for marketing. Carlo Magnani created this fragrance for himself and his close friends and family.”
── Paola Paganini (Product Development & Innovation Director)

Basic Information

Brand name: Acqua di Parma
Founded: 1916
Founder: Baron Carlo Magnani
Headquarters: Milan, Italy (founded in Parma)
Parent company: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (since 2001)
Countries of operation: 43
Official website (Japan): acquadiparma.jp
Official website (global): acquadiparma.com

Note: The brand name means “water of Parma” in Italian.

The Founder and the Origins of the Brand

The Distinguished Magnani Family and Verdi’s Favorite Set Designer

To tell the story of Acqua di Parma, we must first touch on the family of its founder, Carlo Magnani. Carlo descended from a distinguished aristocratic family in Parma, whose members included Girolamo Magnani (1815–1889), one of nineteenth-century Italy’s leading set designers and decorators.

Girolamo Magnani studied at Parma’s Accademia di Belle Arti, the Academy of Fine Arts, and worked on projects ranging from decorations for the National Gallery in Parma to stage designs for numerous theaters, including the Teatro Regio, Parma’s Royal Theater. He was especially trusted by the great composer Giuseppe Verdi and created the sets for Simon Boccanegra at Milan’s La Scala in 1881. After his death in 1889, the municipal theater in Fidenza, formerly Borgo San Donnino, was named Teatro Girolamo Magnani in honor of his achievements.

Born into this family steeped in art and beauty, Carlo Magnani has been described as “an independent thinker with a refined eye for beauty.”

Travels Through Europe and New York: The Birth of Colonia

In the early twentieth century, the young Baron Carlo Magnani set out on a long journey to Paris, London, and New York, the cultural centers of the day. During his travels, which lasted several months, he missed the warmth of the Italian sun and longed to wear a scent that would awaken memories of his home in Parma.

“Colonia was born from Magnani’s longing for the Italian sun on his travels: that vibrant sunlight that brings Italy’s golden citrus fruits to life.”
── Acqua di Parma official website

In 1916, Carlo commissioned a small perfume workshop in Parma’s old town to blend his own personal scent, Colonia. Perfumes prevailing in Europe at the time were predominantly heavy, powerful fragrances, exemplified by Germany’s 4711. Against this backdrop, Colonia was born as an entirely new style of scent: light, refreshing, yet refined, making use of Mediterranean citrus. Sometimes described as Italy’s first true eau de cologne, this bottle opened a new chapter in fragrance history.

CEO Laura Burdese explained it this way.

“What I always want to preserve in Acqua di Parma is what I call ‘unmarketedness.’ Acqua di Parma came from the hands of one aristocrat. At least a hundred years ago, he traveled for months to New York, London, and Paris, and created his own cologne so that he could carry Italy with him for his friends and family.”
── Laura Burdese (CEO at the time, 2018)

The Tailor’s Finishing Touch: A Spritz on a Pocket Square

Colonia was initially enjoyed among those close to Carlo as his private fragrance, but its appeal soon spread. By the 1920s, the scent was taking root among Parma’s menswear tailors. When delivering a finished suit, they would spray Colonia on the pocket square or the suit itself as the “finishing touch.” This custom is one of the stories that symbolize the world of Acqua di Parma. Colonia is said to have circulated exclusively through tailor shops for as long as 40 to 60 years before the brand came to be sold in ordinary stores.

The Golden Age: A Fragrance That Captivated Hollywood Stars

In the 1930s, Colonia’s popularity exploded, forcing an increase in production. Influenced by the Art Deco movement of the decade, the iconic glass bottle still used today was designed.

The period from the 1930s through the 1950s is known as Acqua di Parma’s “golden age.” Hollywood stars visiting Italy to make films at Rome’s Cinecittà studios fell under Colonia’s spell. Screen icons including Cary Grant, David Niven, Ava Gardner, and Audrey Hepburn are said to have worn it. Among people of refined sensibility, regardless of gender, Colonia came to be accepted as “the hallmark of the finest taste.”

Obscurity and Revival: Three Italian Businessmen

From the 1960s onward, however, Acqua di Parma gradually lost its presence amid a wave of new aftershaves and perfume brands. Faced with major brands employing lavish marketing and celebrities, the modest little perfume house from Parma found itself in difficulty.

The turning point came in 1993. Three leading Italian businessmen set out to revive Acqua di Parma out of a passion, almost patriotic in character, “to preserve an Italian classic.”

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo ── Chairman of Ferrari
Diego Della Valle ── President and CEO of Tod’s
Paolo Borgomanero ── Shareholder in La Perla

The three moved the brand’s headquarters from Parma to the fashion capital Milan and embarked on an expansion strategy. In 1998, they opened the first boutique on Milan’s Via del Gesù, a prestigious street also known for housing Versace’s headquarters. In 1999, they launched the brand’s first women’s fragrance, Profumo, and released Arancia di Capri, the first installment of the Blu Mediterraneo collection.

Under LVMH: The Journey of a Global Luxury Brand

In 2001, the three businessmen sold 50% of Acqua di Parma’s shares to LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group. The remaining shares were transferred in stages by 2003, bringing the brand entirely under LVMH. Interestingly, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault is also said to be a Colonia wearer.

After joining LVMH, Acqua di Parma maintained considerable operational independence while evolving beyond fragrance into an Italian lifestyle brand. In 2008, it opened the Blu Mediterraneo Spa in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, entering the luxury spa market. A second location opened at the Gritti Palace in Venice in 2013.

As of 2026, Acqua di Parma operates in 43 countries, with approximately 2,000 points of sale and around 600 full-time employees. Estimated annual revenue is said to be around €200 million. Under current CEO Giulio Bergamaschi, the brand is celebrating its 110th anniversary with its first major celebrity campaign, “The Art of Living Italian,” featuring actors Michael Fassbender and Sabrina Impacciatore.

“It does not matter whether you are Italian. What matters is caring about what is important. That is how living well becomes an art.”
── Sabrina Impacciatore (from the campaign film)

The Brand’s Commitments

“Arte di Vivere”: The Italian Art of Living

Acqua di Parma’s philosophy is “Arte di Vivere,” Italian for “the art of living.” This does not simply mean owning expensive things. It is the Italian way of life itself, finding beauty in small everyday moments: a morning espresso, lunch on a sunlit terrace, or the feeling of being enveloped in well-tailored clothes.

CEO Giulio Bergamaschi describes the philosophy this way.

“It is not a question of geography, but of values. Paying attention to what matters and what makes a difference… Very often, these are small, everyday things. Details matter, and they are a source of joy for us.”
── Giulio Bergamaschi (CEO)

100% Made in Italy

Every Acqua di Parma product, without exception, is made in Italy. From fragrances and candles to leather goods and bath collections, they are created by small workshops and artisans across the country.

“We love things made slowly by hand, because we believe that is how a product acquires a soul. We cherish the handmade, the slightly irregular, the almost perfect.”
── Laura Burdese (former CEO)

Specific examples of this commitment include bottle labels applied one by one by hand and the iconic hatbox packaging, all assembled by hand. Each candle takes at least 24 hours to make by hand, while skilled Italian artisans produce the leather accessories using only fine materials.

Former CEO Burdese has revealed that developing a new perfume usually takes two years. This prioritization of quality over speed lies at the heart of the brand.

Parma Yellow: The Color of the Sun

The first thing that comes to mind at the name Acqua di Parma is probably that vivid yellow. Known as “Parma Yellow,” this color derives from the yellow that has adorned the façades of Parma’s most beautiful palaces since the 1700s. One story holds that buildings in Parma began to be painted yellow in imitation of the golden hair of Bourbon princess Isabella when she passed through the city on her way to her wedding.

The Art Deco Bottle and Coat of Arms

Designed in the 1930s, the cylindrical Art Deco bottle remains a symbol of the brand to this day. The coat of arms on its label belongs to Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Napoleon I’s second wife, who ruled Parma from 1816 to 1847. It pays homage to her contribution to the development of Parma’s perfume and glass industries, while also symbolizing the aristocratic origins of the founder’s Magnani family and its deep ties to the city of Parma.

The Fragrance Lineup

Acqua di Parma’s fragrances are organized into several collections. The following introduces its representative lines.

The Colonia Collection

A collection centered on Colonia (1916), the origin of everything. The original Colonia features top notes of lemon, sweet orange, and Calabrian bergamot; a heart of lavender, rose, verbena, and rosemary; and a base of vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli. Its formula is said to have remained unchanged since its creation in 1916.

Around Colonia are variations offering multifaceted interpretations: Colonia Essenza (2010), Colonia Intensa (2007), Colonia Pura (2017), and Colonia C.L.U.B., among others. Each aims “not to dilute the original, but to offer its own perspective on the Italian way of life.”

“Just as life contains many different moments, for example the moments of pure joy captured by Colonia Pura, or moments of stepping forward with confidence, like Colonia Intensa, each fragrance is designed to accompany a different emotion.”
── Paola Paganini

Colonia Futura, launched in 2020, is noteworthy in terms of sustainability as well. Composed of 99% naturally derived ingredients, with a recycled-plastic cap and labels made from waste dust from marble quarrying, it was an ambitious creation seeking to reconcile tradition and sustainability.

Blu Mediterraneo

Beginning with Mandorlo di Sicilia in 1999 and fully taking off with the release of Arancia di Capri in 2000, this collection draws inspiration from the landscapes of Italy’s Mediterranean coasts and the plants that grow there naturally.

Arancia di Capri ── Orange from Capri
Bergamotto di Calabria ── Bergamot from Calabria
Fico di Amalfi ── Fig from the Amalfi Coast
Mirto di Panarea ── Myrtle from Panarea
Mandarino di Sicilia ── Mandarin from Sicily
Cipresso di Toscana ── Cypress from Tuscany

Each fragrance is tied to a particular Italian place, composed to transport the wearer to a spot on the Mediterranean with a single spray. In 2025, the La Riserva line of deeper, longer-lasting eaux de parfum was added. Made through a two-month maceration process, the new line consists of three fragrances: Arancia di Capri, Fico di Amalfi, and Mirto di Panarea.

Signatures of the Sun

A premium eau de parfum collection bringing together the finest of the brand’s perfumery expertise. Each creation places one precious fragrance material, carefully selected from around the world, at its center and combines it with Italian-citrus DNA. The varied range includes Oud, Quercia (oak), Sandalo (sandalwood), Yuzu, Osmanthus, Vaniglia, Zafferano (saffron), Ambra, and Leather. Black bottles are used for richer, more intense scents, while clear bottles hold fresher, lighter ones.

Le Nobili

A feminine collection inspired by the noble flowers blooming at Italian aristocratic estates. Beginning with Iris Nobile (2004), it expanded with Magnolia Nobile (2009), Gelsomino Nobile (2011), and Rosa Nobile (2014).

Note di Colonia

A special collection created in 2016 to celebrate the brand’s centenary. Inspired by great moments in Italian opera nurtured by Parma, each fragrance takes a famous aria by Verdi or Puccini as its theme.

I: “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici,” the Drinking Song from Verdi’s La Traviata
II: “Nessun dorma” (None Shall Sleep), from Puccini’s Turandot
III: The Triumphal March from Verdi’s Aida
IV: “Donna non vidi mai!” (I Have Never Seen Such a Woman), from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut
V: “La donna è mobile” (Woman Is Fickle), from Verdi’s Rigoletto

The bottle is a revival design based on the original Colonia bottle from 1916, fitted with a bell-shaped crystal stopper.

Buongiorno

A new eau de parfum launched in 2025. It captures a spring morning in the Tuscan hills, the moment when the sun begins to shine after rain. Composed by perfumer Émilie Bouge, it features an accord made through the unusual technique of co-distilling basil and petitgrain. A lively, fresh opening of lemon, spearmint, and rosemary unfolds into lavandin, cedarwood, and amber.

Incidentally…

Chairman Bernard Arnault’s favorite fragrance: Bernard Arnault, who leads the world’s largest luxury group, LVMH, is himself reported to be a Colonia wearer.
The founder’s grandfather and his connection to Verdi: Carlo Magnani’s grandfather Girolamo Magnani was Verdi’s favorite set designer. Given this family connection, the operatic theme of Note di Colonia may be no coincidence.
Kevin Costner, Woody Allen, and Sharon Stone, too: Following the Hollywood stars of its golden age, contemporary stars are also said to wear Acqua di Parma.
The 110th-anniversary Millesimato: Colonia Il Profumo Millesimato, composed by perfumer Alexis Dadier, was released to mark the 110th anniversary in 2026. Applying the wine concept of millésime, or vintage, to perfume, it uses single-harvest ylang-ylang blanc from Nosy Be, Madagascar. Composed with material distilled within 24 hours of picking, it is a truly one-of-a-kind creation.
François Demachy and Francis Kurkdjian: Acqua di Parma fragrances have involved world-renowned perfumers including Dior’s in-house perfumer François Demachy and Francis Kurkdjian (in Japanese), founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
Collezione Barbiere: A men’s grooming line launched in 2006. Inspired by Italy’s traditional barbering culture, it also has dedicated barber shops in Milan, Rome, Dubai, and London. Its shaving brushes and razors, handmade in Florence, embody the essence of Italian craftsmanship.