Tuscany Holiday rent BLOG

Yesterday May 11^th , 2012 in Florence,  at  16  Via della Scala,  one of the world’s old pharmacies the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella  celebrated its 400th anniversary. Its historical rooms have been renovated  according to a new technological approach. Let’s  get into the  magic world of aromatic flower fragrances and essential oils. The nose is captured by the wafting  smells pervading the place, while the wooden cabinets with the old containers and the monks’ original recipe ledgers tell about the infirmary set here by the  Dominicans in the first half of the 13^th century.  Santa Maria Novella, originally called Santa Maria delle Vigne, was enlarged into a monastery where the monks developed herbal remedies from their vegetable garden, the so called “Giardino dei Semplici from the latin medicina simplex defining herbs.

Rose water was employed as an antiseptic to clean houses from plague infections. Still produced today, it has been turned into a perfume or a product for aromatherapy,  now lined up together with contemporary skin care products, soaps scents on the shelves  of the dimly light frescoed rooms. The same destiny

for the “ Vinegar of the Seven Thieves” a remedy for fainting fits or a  mixture for hysterical women changed now into a Santa Maria Novella Water,  special for its antispasmodic properties. The activity of the monks  has been marked by the historical events, the apothecary survived the bonfire of vanities of Savonarola,  a Dominican monk himself, because of its mostly medicinal character. The great fortune of the Officina was the patronage of its most famous customer Catherine de’ Medici,  queen of France.  A new fragrance was created for her, a perfume that became known as acqua della regina or “water of the queen”.

Later it underwent  changing fortunes because the business seemed to be in contrast with religious piety. After a temporary shutdown the production was resumed until the state confiscation in 1866 and a consequent decisive  control by laymen whose descendants still run it today.

A real  business.  In the 19th century, the products became all the rage in the United States and its  top selling liqueur, Alkermes, was advertised as a way to “revive weary and lazy spirits”.

Today the pharmacy still keeps entirely its historical charm. The neo-gothic blue and gold  hall , the well preserved rich decoration of the Green Room,  the Old Apothecary  shelves and cabinets under a frescoed ceiling, the actual sale room, a former chapel dedicated to San Niccolò ,  not to mention it adjacent sacristy frescoed, according to some, by Mariotto di Nardo enchant the visitors-customers.

An echo of this flagstore reaches as well the international stores in New York , Los Angeles and Tokio in the preserved tecniques of manufacturing,  many of the products are still handmade and when you wash yourself with one of its soap bar you can really perceive the smell of the City of Lilies and imagine the long story of a craft which has safely crossed many centuries.

A must you can’t miss.  Profit from the holiday accommodations offered by Tuscany Holiday Rent.

Tuscany is a  region much loved by the Dutch,  a  file rouge  links  the two countries. Since the days of the nineteenth century Grand Tour,  the Dutch  have appreciated the Tuscan landscape,  both urban and rural, and its lifestyle  including  art, wine  and food. On the other side Tuscans, through centuries, have always travelled to Netherlands. Among the most famous, the Medicis,  who,  because of their banking business there,  started to enrich their art collections with paintings and Flemish tapestries (see on that purpose the post  on tuscany holiday rent blog ”A Firenze Galleria degli Arazzi: Epifanie di tessuti preziosi” published on March 22^nd 2012 ) . Nowadays  these  peoples are linked by shared interests and passions ranging from  fashion , art  up to environment.

Thence  the great cultural partnership between Netherlands and Tuscany, called “Olandiamo”,  which includes  events taking place along the whole year 2012  in  Firenze, Lucca, Pisa, Prato and Leghorn. The Dutch ambassador Alphonsus  Stoelinga, on April the 17^th 2012,  started this initiative to enhance the relationship between the two countries  with the documentary exhibition  about Anna Frank at Prato. After   May the 16^th, 2012,  it will be transferred  to Leghorn and Lucca. The issue is still relevant and  the personal story of Anna Frank and in general the  Jewish persecution  during the second world war  have  to stimulate the necessary and up- to- date  reflections on  the basic  values of  tolerance and freedom.

Exhibitions on art , performances  are planned to highlight the artistic exchange as well. From May the 3^rd up to the 13^th, 2012   sound installations of the Dutch artists Ronald van der Meijs and  Jeroen Uyttendaele have been scheduled at the Florentine  festival,  Fabbrica Europa.

On the  respectful attention to environment the cycling event at the Cascine, Florence,  is focused on Saturday 12^th 2012. Its prelude  the joint press conference in Palazzo Vecchio, on Friday May 11 by Mr. Stoelinga and Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi. They are going to underline the cycling advantages as to pollution, energy saving and a new way of moving downtown, drawing on the long established  Dutch experience.  A cycling tour for families, who will be offered  T-shirts and led lights will follow the following day.

Just a hint at the planned next events

-the  conference on Carrara marble and Lowlands in June

-the Pisa Book  Festival in November

– the exhibition of architectures and art at Pecci Center for Contemporary art, Prato, in December

-the Dutch textile designs in February 2013 at the Museo del Tessuto a Prato.

Plenty of excuses for a holiday in Florence, profit from the holiday accommodations offered by Tuscany Holiday Rent