Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella Opens in Burlington Gardens
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the world’s oldest pharmacy and a legacy brand famous for its fragrances, personal and home care products but also "ancient preparations", inaugurates the new store in London at number 4 Burlington Gardens.
The new Burlington Gardens boutique will welcome both Londoners and international visitors with a curated selection of fragrances and iconic preparations that embody the elegance and heritage of the pharmacy. Established in 1221, Santa Maria Novella’s journey has been intertwined with the lives of royals, nobility, and admirers who’ve helped to bring its Florentine legacy to the whole world. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in Florentine tradition and in the authentic craftsmanship that continues to inspire contemporary luxury.
The new store joins those in Piccadilly and Walton Street and corners in Harrods and Liberty London, strengthening Santa Maria Novella’s presence in the UK, where its products have been cherished for centuries. This opening marks a significant step in Santa Maria Novella’s ongoing expansion, which continues its tradition of excellence by reinterpreting the Renaissance taste for natural sciences and perfumery art with products distributed in 30 countries and more than 400 points of sale worldwide. The new shop in Burlington Gardens is ideally located in the heart of London, just steps away from the Royal Academy of Arts where Santa Maria Novella is a partner of the exhibition Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504, currently on display. Supporting this exhibition is part of Santa Maria Novella’s commitment to sharing Florentine cultural heritage beyond Italy’s borders, while also highlighting Santa Maria Novella’s own links with the Florentine Renaissance and to Leonardo da Vinci in particular.
In 1504, while preparing “The Battle of Anghiari”, a grand work that was unfortunately never completed, Leonardo stayed at the convent of Santa Maria Novella, where the brand’s flagship store is still located today. The pharmacy, at the time, had been in operation for almost three centuries and was already selling some of its most iconic products, such as Acqua di Rose, which was dearly appreciated in Florence. It was here that Leonardo, inspired by the friars’ remedies and aromatic waters, studied botany and perfumery and created glass tools, "alambicchi" or alembics, for perfume distillation. His studies and designs inspired a range of artefacts that are still kept in the historic Santa Maria Novella’s store at Via della Scala 16 in Florence. Furthermore, shortly thereafter the Officina would play a capital role in the European culture of perfume. Raised by the friars of Santa Maria Novella, it was in fact the perfumer Renato Bianco who brought this portentous liquid to the court of France for the first time. Created in 1533 for Catherine de' Medici, Acqua della Regina remains one of the brand's most beloved products.
“It is a privilege to treasure and pass on a brand with such an extraordinary history,” says Giovanna Paoloni, CEO of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. “With our support of this exhibition and the opening of the new Burlington Gardens store we want to strengthen our presence in London and continue the Renaissance tradition of promoting the arts, a legacy that Santa Maria Novella continues to celebrate through the centuries today”.
Find out more about the brand here.
