MELOGRANO/POMEGRANATE
The fruit of the pomegranate plant, originally from Persia, found depicted in ancient Egyptian tombs and in many of the greatest works of art, symbolizes wealth and abundance. Some scholars believe that the forbidden fruit of biblical and mythological fame was not an apple, but a pomegranate. This fragrance mixes the tart taste of the pomegranate with an insistent, powdery floral undertone and is perfect for day or night.
POMEGRANATE
The scent Pomegranate Officina Profumo - Pharmaceutical Santa Maria Novella is a bouquet of floral notes oriental sweets. The fragrance evokes immediate feeling of warmth and welcome that well interpret the meaning of the plant itself. The plant, native to Persia and then spread throughout the Mediterranean, is already represented in the most ancient Egyptian tombs. The fruit of a thousand symbols, is mentioned in the Song of Songs appears in the Odyssey and in many ancient folk traditions, as a symbol of fertility and abundance.
OFFICINA PROFUMO-FARMACEUTICA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
The first stage of existence of the “Officina” can be traced back to the 1221 when the Domenican friars, arriving in Florence, built their monastery just outside the city gate. Shortly afterwards they began to study and experiment the properties of officinal herbs grown in their gardens next to the monastery. The preparations obtained in this way ( medicaments, balms and ointments) were at first intended for the monastery’s small infirmary, used to keep the friars and other members of the community in good health.
In 1612 the monk Fra Angiolo Marchissi opened the pharmacy to the public, earning in this way, from the Grand Duke of Tuscany who had taken note of “such apothecary talent” the right for the dispensary to bear the honorable title o “His Royal Highness’s firm”. So the Domenicans officially started their commercial activity selling their curative and ephemeral products directly. Thus the Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Perfume and Pharmaceutical Oficine of Holy Mary Novella) was born with an emblematic name that gave precedence to perfume or the ephemeral rather than the curative aspect of more spiritual inspiration, the medicinal or pharmaceutical. In any case this seemed to have been the shrewd move, if it is true that the first “testimonial” of the Dominican brand was Caterina de’ Medici, the Florentine noblewoman who was crowned Queen of France for whom the friars created the essence that was known as Acqua della Regina – Water of the Queen, today named Water of Santa Maria Novella.
During the 18th century the fame of the products and formulas developed by the friars spread far and wide reaching Russia, India and China. In 1886 after the confiscation of the Church’ property by the State, for the first time the control passed in the hands of a layman, Cesare Augusto Stefani, nephew of the last Dominican friar who had been the Director of the Officina.
SMN perfumes certainly stand out from the other brands. Most fragrances have between 8 and 12 per cent alcohol - those from SMN have just 3 per cent, so the liquid doesn't evaporate nearly so quickly - and that helps them last all day.