Fragrance house

Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella traces its institutional history to 1221, when twelve Dominican friars established a botanical garden outside Florence’s walls to supply the convent infirmary. In 1612, the operation became a public pharmacy for clients beyond the monastic community, taking the name Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria Novella. After the suppression of religious orders, Cesare Augusto Stefani registered it in 1871 as the secular private enterprise Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella; between 1848 and 1871, its work expanded from medicinal preparations toward cosmetics and fine fragrances. Its identity remains rooted in Florentine Dominican apothecary traditions, botanical ingredients, historical preparations, and continuity between heritage and contemporary fragrance and cosmetic work. The brand’s oldest fragrance, Acqua della Regina, is traced to a 1533 scent associated with Caterina de’ Medici, Renato Bianco, and her marriage to Henry, Duke of Orléans, and remains in production; a 2022 editorial identifies it as the Officina’s best-selling fragrance. In 2021, the Firenze 1221 Eau de Cologne collection marked the 800th anniversary, while I Giardini Medicei extended the brand into the Eau de Parfum category in 2022.