L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano T he Officina Pro- f u m o - F a r m a - c e u t i c a d i S a n t a M a r i a Novella is both one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, and a symbol of Florentine heritage, tradition, and craftsmanship. For over 400 years, this legendary institution has been making exquisite perfumes, skincare products, and herbal reme- dies, maintaining an endur- ing reputation for quality, refinement, and artisanal expertise. T h e o r i g i n s o f S a n t a Maria Novella go back to 1 2 2 1 , w h e n D o m i n i c a n monks from the adjoining B a s i l i c a o f S a n t a M a r i a Novella began cultivating medicinal herbs in their gar- dens to create balms, oint- ments, and remedies for their i n f i r m a r y . A t t h e t i m e , monasteries were among the few centers of medical knowl- edge, and the Dominican fri- ars' understanding of medici- nal plants and alchemy gave rise to remedies that would lay the foundation for the products we see today. The friars' careful study of plants and their healing properties h e l p e d t h e m d e v e l o p a n a d v a n c e d k n o w l e d g e o f b o t a n i c a l p h a r m a c o l o g y , which would later become the cornerstone of the Officina's fame. Officially, the pharmacy was opened to the public in 1 6 1 2 b y F r a ' A n g i o l o Marchissi. Under his guid- ance, the Officina flourished, gaining the favor of Floren- tine nobility and internation- al clientele. The enterprise was initially named Fonderia di Sua Altezza Reale, under the patronage of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. This rela- tionship with the Medicis helped the pharmacy to grow in prestige, making it a hub of innovation and expertise in herbal medicine and per- fume-making. O n e o f t h e m o s t i c o n i c products developed by the O f f i c i n a i s A c q u a d e l l a Regina (Queen's Water), a fragrance created in the 16th century for Caterina de' Medici. Before becoming the Queen of France, Cather- i n e , a F l o r e n t i n e n o b l e - woman, commissioned the friars to create a personalized p e r f u m e . T h i s f r a g r a n c e , based on citrus and bergamot notes, became highly popular in the French court and con- tributed to the fame of Santa Maria Novella in European royal circles. Today, Acqua della Regina is still sold in stores under its traditional name, embodying the time- less appeal of the brand's products. By the 18th century, the Officina had already become one of the most respected and internationally recog- nized purveyors of high-qual- ity herbal medicines and fra- g r a n c e s . T h e p h a r m a c y expanded its product line to include soaps, cosmetics, liquors, and even essential oils—all derived from natural ingredients and developed using centuries-old methods. Although the pharmacy was secularized in 1866 dur- ing Italy's unification, it con- tinued to operate privately, keeping its deep-rooted ties to its historical origins. The name Officina Profumo-Far- maceutica di Santa Maria Novella was officially adopt- ed in the early 20th century, and the pharmacy continued to grow, modernizing while maintaining its traditional methods. Today, visitors to the original pharmacy in Flo- rence can step back in time and witness the centuries-old legacy of Santa Maria Novella firsthand: located in the same building where it was found- ed, the Officina is an elegant space filled with frescoed ceilings, marble floors, and displays of glass apothecary j a r s a n d a n c i e n t manuscripts. One of the secrets behind Santa Maria Novella's endur- ing success is its commitment to natural ingredients. Even today, many of the products are still made using the same raw materials sourced from t h e r e g i o n , f o l l o w i n g t h e example set by the friars cen- turies ago. In addition to its famous p e r f u m e s , S a n t a M a r i a N o v e l l a p r o d u c e s a w i d e array of wellness and skin- care products. These include i t s r e n o w n e d r o s e w a t e r , w h i c h d a t e s b a c k t o t h e Renaissance and is used for its soothing and toning prop- erties, as well as its almond paste hand cream, a rich and moisturizing formula that remains one of the brand's best-selling items. Other pop- ular offerings include their potpourri, made from a blend of Tuscan herbs and flowers, and their soaps, which are hand-molded and cured for 30 days. T he mechanical pencil is a sleek and efficient writ- ing tool with an Italian heart, as it was created by the company Aurora, a renowned manu- f a c t u r e r o f f i n e w r i t i n g i n s t r u m e n t s . F o u n d e d i n Turin in 1919 by Isaia Levi, A u r o r a q u i c k l y b e c a m e a symbol of Italian craftsman- s h i p a n d i n n o v a t i o n , a n d while the company is best known for its luxury fountain pens, it also made significant contributions to the develop- ment of the mechanical pen- cil. The early development of mechanical pencils can be traced back to the 19th cen- tury, when the idea of creat- ing a drawing tool that didn't n e e d a n y s h a r p e n i n g emerged. However, it was Aurora in the early 20th cen- tury that played a key role in refining the design and pop- ularizing this instrument. In 1940, Aurora launched one o f t h e f i r s t s e l f - f e e d i n g mechanical pencils, which used a twisting mechanism t o e x t e n d t h e l e a d . T h i s m a r k e d a s i g n i f i c a n t improvement over earlier designs, where leads had to b e m a n u a l l y i n s e r t e d o r p u s h e d f o r w a r d . A u r o r a ' s version featured a compact, reliable mechanism, which m a d e i t a f a v o r i t e a m o n g professionals, architects, and engineers who required pre- c i s i o n a n d c o n s i s t e n c y i n their writing instruments. M o r e o v e r , t h e p e n c i l ' s r e t r a c t a b l e l e a d s y s t e m meant users no longer need- ed to sharpen their pencils constantly, ensuring uninter- rupted writing or drawing, while its sleek, ergonomic design made it a fashionable accessory, something that g r e a t l y c o n t r i b u t e d t o i t s widespread popularity. The success of Aurora's mechanical pencil led to fur- ther innovations in the prod- uct. Over the decades, the company introduced varia- t i o n s w i t h d i f f e r e n t l e a d sizes, grip enhancements, a n d e v e n l u x u r y e d i t i o n s made with precious metals: that's why Aurora's pencils became known not only for their functionality but also for their aesthetic elegance. I n d e e d , t h i s m i x b e t w e e n p r a c t i c a l i t y a n d b e a u t y i s s o m e t h i n g t h e b r a n d h a s always been known for. Today, Aurora's mechani- cal pencils remain one of the brand's most iconic products, a l o n g w i t h t h e i r f a m o u s fountain pens, with which many Italian children, back in the day, learned how to write. Regardless of the prod- uct, the company's commit- ment to excellence, innova- tion, and design, continues to attract discerning customers from all over the world. A u r o r a d e v e l o p e d t h e f i r s t m e c h a n i c a l p e n c i l s i n t h e 1 9 4 0 s ( P h o t o : Suparergsuksai/Dreamstime) Aurora mechanical pencil, the tool that changed the way we draw Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella: a tradition of excellence IMPRESA ITALIA MADE IN ITALY TOP BRANDS BUSINESS & ECONOMY The traditional settings at the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, in Florence (Photo: Simona Flamigni/Dreamstime)

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