Santa Maria! This is heaven scent

The scene is all too solemn and surreal. Here I am on Via della Scalla in Florence, at the arched doorway to the Santa Maria Novella Church. But I am not here to pray. It is not exactly just a church. It is a pharmacy too — and home to the world’s oldest cosmetic company — founded by Dominican friars!

How old is Santa Maria Novella? Think of its famous fans — from Catherine de Medici to Catherine Deneuve to Catherine Zeta-Jones — and you get the picture.

The church, with its ceiling frescoes, biblical paintings and statues gilded in gold, looks like a blast from the past. It is a must-see tourist spot in Florence, where Dominican friars arrived in 1219 and started a pharmaceutical brand now known for its fragrances, luxurious soaps and rich liqueurs that have made a splash in Hollywood.

With its centuries-old ambience, I would have expected a royal princess in gilded robes meeting me at the entrance. Instead, I am escorted by a dashing gentleman in a sleek suit, Eugenio Alphandery, who loves the hum of machines producing scents from ancient formulas at his Santa Maria Novella factory. On this day, this head honcho would probably rather be driving one of his fast cars, or go sailing in the seas. But, thank God, Eugenio is here to give me a whiff of history, together with his amiable VP, Gianluca Foa.

The first thing that greets us inside is a bouquet of aromas. I love the scent. The grandeur of the pharmacy sales room is both impressive and haunting. There is a long table, which reminds me of an altar as it is flanked by two statues bearing lamps. On the walls are shelves of perfumes and an assortment of wonderful boxed and bottled concoctions.

This room, Eugenio and Gianluca explain, was once a monastic chapel. The story is that a nobleman, Dardano Acciaiuoli, had fallen very sick and his doctors, having no idea what could cure his mysterious illness, instead prescribed a very rare kind of grape. But thanks to the Dominican friars who happened to grow these grapes at the orchard of the monastery grounds, Dardano was miraculously cured. In gratitude, he financed the construction of a chapel, which the friars devoted to use for the sick. Called the Chapel of San Niccolo, this chapel was located right beside the infirmary where the sick could hear Mass even while lying on their beds.

Santa Maria Novella really began when the Dominican friars saw the need to concoct medicine for their sick fellow friars. As we walk through the monastery grounds, we find an old distillery. In this room are archaic yet functioning machines used for pressing seeds, flowers and herbs grown in their garden to produce medicines. Just outside this room is a gallery of shelves filled with books of ancient recipes, ornate jars, mugs and vases.

One of the friars’ most famous elixirs was called “Vinegar of the Seven Thieves” — a popular remedy containing peppermint and cinnamon used to treat women who suffered from fainting spells. Today, it is used as a refreshing pick-me-up.

Another ancient recipe is the Santa Maria Novella rosewater, which was used as an antiseptic during plague outbreaks. Today, it is used as a skin refresher with its antioxidant properties, or as a fragrant linen spray.

As the tour continues, I am drawn to a room located at the back corner of the vicinity. It is the ancient pharmacy, where panels of austere glass-fronted cupboards are bordered with 18th-century intricate woodcarvings. The ceiling stucco paintings depict mythical half-human and half-animal creatures of sea monsters, sphinxes and even winged insects. Inside the showcases are instruments — some I recognize from my high school years in chemistry class. The others are quite curious, such as thermometers that look like art glass sculptures. But perhaps the most common yet iconic tool seen in variants of bronze and marble is the mortar and pestle. It has become the symbol of a pharmacy.

Making our way out to the piazza, we see the façade of the Basilica Santa Maria Novella. Its unique architecture of gothic, classical and — at the time it was completed — modern styles is a perfect encapsulation of the company’s history. While the monks may have officially started their pharmaceutical enterprise of the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in 1612 to aid their community, this has since then expanded into a world-famous brand.

Santa Maria Novella is a brand that even royalty loves. From the Queen of France Catherine de Medici, whose Acqua della Regina was named after her — to England’s Queen Elizabeth II, for whom a perfume in a silver bottle named Coronation was produced by Santa Maria Novella, upon the request of Buckingham Palace, to celebrate her Silver Jubilee Coronation in 2002.

 Santa Maria Novella has certainly proved that their centuries-old products stand the test of time. In this, my surreal frame of mind, I can hear the friars singing alleluias in heaven.

Coming next: Looking for Catherine at the Santa Maria Novella factory

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In the Philippines, Santa Maria Novella products are exclusively available at Rustan’s Essenses.

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Thai Airways offers excellent service, cuisine and comfort as it flies to Italy via Manila-Bangkok. For reservations and inquiries on the most attractive rates and packages, call 817-5442.