Florence is another city that’s no stranger to bespoke scents, with a history tracing back to Catherine de’ Medici times, when the future queen commissioned a fragrance for her marriage to France’s Henry II. The monks of Santa Maria Novella switched out the typical base of olive oil or vinegar for alcohol to craft the signature scent dubbed “Acqua della Regine,” or Water of the Queen, that became an instant hit at court. You can still visit the 400-year-old apothecary, but Florence is also home to a more off-the-radar perfume lab that lies in the cellars of the Florence is also home to a more off-the-radar perfume lab that lies in the cellars of the Renaissance Baroque Palazzo Corsini Antinori-Serristori, near the Basilica of Santa Croce. On Discover Your Italy tours, Aquaflor Firenze’s master perfumer Sileno Cheloni guides guests through the process known as the “perfumer’s ritual,” sifting through more than 1,500 single scents to find just the right mix of memory and emotion from essences like sandalwood and Taif Rose that will be blended to perfection in your bottle.
