Fragrance house

Farina

Farina was founded in Cologne on 13 July 1709 by Giovanni Battista Farina, whose younger brother Johann Maria joined the business in 1714. Johann Maria developed the fragrance that became Eau de Cologne by blending citrus oils—including bergamot, lemon and orange—with alcohol. From 1733, after his brother’s death, he continued the business under his own name at Obenmarspforten. Named for his adopted city, Eau de Cologne went on to denote an entire fragrance class. Farina’s version spread through European courts and was associated with figures including Napoleon, Goethe, Queen Victoria and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The original Eau de Cologne remains the house’s central reference point, preserved and produced in Cologne according to a closely guarded recipe.