L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano T h e p l e a s u r e o f collecting per- f u m e s is all in t h e w a y s c e n t s can evoke memo- ries, places, and emotions. A single spray can bring back a s u m m e r g a r d e n , a s e a breeze, your first love, your youth. Perhaps because we've all b e c o m e m o r e r e f l e c t i v e (read: older) and love remi- n i s c i n g a b o u t t h e p a s t , I found that many of my clos- est friends and I have devel- o p e d a p a s s i o n f o r f r a - grances and happily spend time and hard-earned cash on some of our favorite ones: s o m e a r e p o p u l a r a n d f a m o u s , o t h e r s a r e l e s s e r k n o w n a n d b e l o n g t o t h e niche perfumes category. When it comes to these, Italy c a n b o a s t s o m e i c o n i c names, including one that is synonymous with a place as evocative and mesmerizing as a good scent: Carthusia of Capri. Carthusia's history and ethos are deeply tied to the l a n d s c a p e , h e r i t a g e , a n d m y s t i q u e o f t h e i s l a n d o f C a p r i . W i t h a n a m e t h a t recalls the local Certosa di S a n G i a c o m o , i t r e p r e - sents one of the most endur- i n g c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n m o n a s t i c t r a d i t i o n a n d Mediterranean craftsman- ship, at least if we believe in l e g e n d s . A c c o r d i n g t o a famous one, the origins of Carthusia date back to 1380, when the prior of the Cer- tosa, surprised by the sud- den arrival of Queen Gio- vanna d'Angiò to Capri, gathered the island's most b e a u t i f u l f l o w e r s i n h e r honor. The flowers remained in water for three days, and when the time came to dis- card them, the prior discov- e r e d t h a t t h e w a t e r h a d taken on an extraordinary, m y s t e r i o u s s c e n t : a n alchemist monk identified the essence as coming from t h e n a t i v e g a r o f i l u m s i l - v e s t r e c a p r e s e — C a p r i ' s wild carnation. This acci- d e n t a l i n f u s i o n b e c a m e known as the first perfume of the island. T h e h i s t o r i c a l r o o t s o f Carthusia, however, were officially revived in 1948 when the then-prior of the Certosa rediscovered ancient fragrance formulas. With permission from the Vati- can, he shared these with a c h e m i s t f r o m P i e d m o n t , leading to the foundation of what became the smallest perfume laboratory in the world. The name Carthusia — derived from "Certosa" — pays homage to its monastic origins, while its philosophy remained true to its roots: artisanal production, limited quantity, and high-quality natural ingredients, all han- dled with care and precision. Today, Carthusia contin- ues to produce fragrances in small batches — no more than 300 bottles a day — using time-honored meth- ods passed down from the Carthusian monks. Every stage of production is done by hand, from maceration to bottling to packaging. The e s s e n t i a l o i l s c o m e f r o m local botanicals, including r o s e m a r y f r o m M o n t e Solaro for men's lines and Capri's wild carnation for women's scents. Fragrances like Aria di Capri, which b l e n d s l e m o n , o r a n g e , mimosa, and peach to recre- ate the breezy lightness of t h e o r C a p r i s s i m o , c o m - posed of 25 different flow- ers, offer olfactory journeys i n t o C a p r i ' s l a n d s c a p e s . Fiori di Capri, the house's historic creation, remains a classic, while newer scents l i k e A ' m m a r e a n d V i a Camerelle speak to modern tastes without losing their island identity. Other stand- outs include Gelsomini di Capri, warm and feminine with a refined jasmine core, and Zagara, which captures the fleeting bloom of citrus flowers each spring. T o d a y , C a r t h u s i a i s a bona fide cultural pro- ject. Now in its seventy-sev- enth year, the brand is still family-run by the Ruocco family, who have deep roots i n C a p r i : t h a t ' s w h y t h e opening of a boutique under the clocktower in the iconic Piazza Umberto I in 2023 marked an important mile- stone, a return to the heart of the island, where locals and visitors can experience Carthusia's full fragrance line in its native environ- ment. Y e t C a r t h u s i a ' s r e a c h extends far beyond its beau- tiful home. Today, their fra- grances are sold in select high-end boutiques around t h e w o r l d , f r o m I t a l y t o Japan, from the US to the Middle East. Collectors and perfume lovers appreciate the brand not only for the quality of its compositions but also for its authenticity, history, and commitment to keeping a long-lasting tradi- tion, one created by local m o n k s h u n d r e d s o f y e a r s ago, alive. N o i n v e n t i o n attracted and f r i g h t e n e d h u m a n i t y a s much as elec- tricity, and one of its earlier f a t h e r s , t h e I t a l i a n Alessandro Volta — whose i n v e n t i o n o f t h e e l e c t r i c battery in 1800 marked a turning point in the history of science and technology — would certainly agree. B o r n i n C o m o i n 1 7 4 5 , Volta was a physicist with an interest in electricity, a field that was still in its infancy during the late 18th century. His groundbreaking work emerged from a debate with a n o t h e r I t a l i a n s c i e n t i s t , L u i g i G a l v a n i , w h o believed that animal tissue was essential for generating electricity. Volta disagreed, proposing instead that elec- tricity could be produced by the contact of different met- als. To prove his theory, Volta created the "pile," or voltaic pile, the first true battery. He stacked alternating discs of zinc and copper, separated by pieces of cloth soaked in saltwater. When connected by a wire, the stack produced a steady electrical current — something that had never been achieved before. This s i m p l e y e t r e v o l u t i o n a r y design demonstrated that chemical reactions between different substances could generate electricity continu- ously, without the need for living matter. V o l t a ' s i n v e n t i o n w a s immediately recognized as a major breakthrough: he pre- s e n t e d t h e v o l t a i c p i l e t o Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris in 1801, earning not only scientific acclaim but also noble titles. The volt, the unit of electrical potential, was later named in his honor. T h e b a t t e r y o p e n e d t h e door to an entirely new era of experimentation and techno- logical progress and allowed scientists such as Humphry Davy and Michael Fara- day to explore the nature of electricity and magnetism, leading to further discoveries in electrochemistry and elec- tromagnetism. Volta's cre- ation also laid the foundation f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f portable power — paving the way for everything from elec- tric circuits and motors to the modern electronics we rely on today. Though the materials and designs have evolved over the centuries, the basic principle b e h i n d e v e r y b a t t e r y s t i l l echoes Volta's original idea: that electricity can be gener- ated by the controlled inter- action of different elements. In this sense, the voltaic pile was the real beginning of the electrified world. An illustration of Volta and his battery (Image created with DALL-E 2) Alessandro Volta: the spark that lit up the modern world Carthusia: Capri in a bottle IMPRESA ITALIA MADE IN ITALY TOP BRANDS BUSINESS & ECONOMY Carthusia is based in Capri, and produces niche fragrances and body care (Photo: nikkimeel/Dreamstime)

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