Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful off-the-beaten path treasure in Florence with an incredible perfume shop.
5 minute read
When is a perfume shop not just a perfume shop?
When it’s Santa Maria Novella in Florence— considered the world’s oldest pharmacy. It was founded by Dominican friars, who started a herb garden at the nearby Santa Maria Novella convent in 1221. In the 16th century, it became “that famous pharmacy in Florence” for its perfumes enjoyed by A-list patrons like Caterina de ‘Medici, the Queen of France. Today, the historic business is also one of the most beautiful hidden places in Florence, a city of beautiful places.
You can smell it before you see it.
Located just around the corner from the church of the same name, down the very ordinary looking Via della Scala, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella does not have a fancy sign or window. If you aren’t looking for it, you could easily walk past. But when the ornate doorway is open, soft jazz and a floral scent waft out onto the street, calling you in.
The entranceway is gorgeous. So many dried flowers hang from the ceiling, surrounding an antique light fixture, as if a garden turned into a chandelier.
Walk a few steps on the entranceways marble floors, up a couple of stairs, and you are inside the shop. The huge vaulted ceilings are painted with frescos, there’s stained glass windows and sculpture. If it feels a bit like a church, that’s because this room was once a chapel.
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Santa Maria Novella is not only the world’s oldest pharmacy, it’s now a high-end perfume shop
In the main sales room, clients with different accents from around the world jostle around a fragrance counter. Saleswomen gracefully offer samples of perfumes made from rose, iris, fresia, or the famous Acqua della Regina (“The Queen’s Water”), a bouquet of citrus, rosemary and cloves commissioned by Caterina de’ Medici in 1533. Many of these products in fact are made from the same formulas the Dominican friars developed centuries ago. It’s easy to imagine the scene you’re in has looked much the same in here for centuries.
On my visit I was not in the market for expensive perfume but was drawn to a second counter piled with beautiful soaps. Lavender, olive oil, verbena, musk, patchouli, rose …. I wanted to bathe in them all. I chose a bar of Vellutina Soap. It’s 25Euros. For a single bar of soap. But it smells of milk and honey and comes in a pretty green box. And I would later find out it’s the absolute best face cleanser I’ve ever used. (Seriously, I now enlist friends who are travelling to Italy to bring me some back.) I also stocked up on gifts.
Pick up some distilled rose water— developed to treat the plague during the Black Death.
The next room takes you even further back in time. It’s less like a high-end boutique and more like an olde tyme apothecary. Here you will find the elixirs, balms and other “ancient preparations” that Santa Maria Novella has been concocting from local medicinal plants for centuries.
You can pick up lavender salts, aromatic vinegar, or some distilled rose water—originally developed to treat the plague during the Black Death.
I was intrigued by the display of Santa Maria Novella liqueurs, a line of gorgeous glass bottles with intricate labels and the company’s official gold seal.
Between my non-Italian and the staff’s not-great-English I couldn’t tell if these were straight up for drinking or have medicinal purposes. Which is how I, a non-drinker, walked out with a bottle of Alkermes. This 15th-century scarlet red concoction is a Tuscany specialty, made from sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves and is 35% alcohol. I would later learn it was sometimes used as a tonic for heart conditions (cool!) and that its colour comes from crushed bugs (not so cool). I’m keeping this one sealed for a special occasion, or just a beautiful souvenir.
Santa Maria Novella is also a museum
There are more opulent rooms, filled with more curious discoveries, including candles, men’s grooming, teas and pot pourri. Everything smells incredible, and looks so fancy. Santa Maria Novella is a perfect place to buy a unique gift in Florence. Their products are all made in Italy, and not tested on animals.
You don’t have to purchase anything to visit though. It’s an upscale space, with the prices to match, but also welcoming and friendly to browsers. There is also a small area called the Santa Maria Novella museum, showcasing antique ceramics and other artifacts from the company’s storied history.
If you have any interest in fragrance or the history of medicine, I highly recommend a visit to the world’s oldest pharmacy. It’s also a beautiful sanctuary from crowded streets. Because Florence is one of the busiest small cities I’ve ever visited, with good reason. There are so many world-famous artworks to see, foods to eat, bridges to walk across. And wonderful weird things like Galileo’s finger or Michelangelo’s tomb. But after all that, duck into Santa Maria Novella, much more than “just a store.” But also, a really beautiful store.
Santa Maria Novella’s original location is at Via della Scala, 16, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy. Open 10am to 6pm daily.
Our Hotel in Florence: Plaza Hotel Lucchesi
Florence in the summer is hot! It reached 40 degrees for us. So I knew I wanted a hotel with a pool even if that meant upping our accommodation budget. When I saw the views from the rooftop pool at the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi and how close it was to the city centre it was an easy decision to splurge on a stay here.
The Plaza Hotel Lucchesi is located right on the Arno River, a 15-minute walk from landmarks like the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio and an easy hop to artsy Oltrarno on the south side. Our large room had a balcony with great views of the Arno but we spent most of our time there cooling off in their small pool with 360-degree views of the city. Caveat: I loved staying at this hotel in Florence but we paid about half of what they are charging for an August stay now and for 600 Euro a night I would want a much fancier experience. If you can score a deal, the loccation and views can’t be beat.
Read my full review of the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi.
If you prefer a less expensive hotel or want to stay in the boho Santo Spirito neighbourhood I can also recommend Palazzo Guadagni. Its cozy rooms have antique furnishings and the rooftop bar restaurant Loggia has some of the best sunset views in Florence.
Recommended Product
When you want your drawers or your whole home to smell like Florence Italy. A set of handcrafted wax tablets with the delicate scent of lavender and decorated by hand with lavender flowers and rose blossoms.
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