The Smells of Italy by Le Sirenuse Hotel

09/18/07 11:58:24

Perfume is a great visiting card, and therefore it is changing its status from a perfume houses exclusive product, to an almost obligatory attribute of designers' and jewelry houses, as well as of renowned cities and persons. Recently, such a perfume line was launched by a high class hotel Le Sirenuse of Positano. Own fragrance is a sign of a success and prestige, but also a very good artistic form that can communicate all that is hard to express by words.

Positano is a beautiful little town at the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana) in the south of Italy, a pearl included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Positano, known as a town of painters, is situated close to the famous Sorrento and the Capri Island. The town was built in the time of ancient Rome. According the legends, it was built by Neptune, the Ruler of the Sea. Positano was an influential centre of the Amalfi Republic and the Mediterranean region trade in the 16th and 17th century. From the middle of 19th until the middle of 20th century Positano was, as well as most of the towns in the south of Italy, passing through hard times, depleted, deserted and decrepit.

Holidays on the coast came into fashion in the 20th century, and that was when the golden era of all Mediterranean towns and cities begun. Beautiful little Positano was made famous by John Ernst Steinbeck's article in Harper's Bazaar (se in pdf format). Thus the citizens of Positano woke up one morning in May 1953 and found themselves in a 'dream place' attractive to romantic tourists.

A member of the aristocratic family of Sersale, Marchese Sersale, capable of sensing the spirit of the time, decided to turn his family summer villa Le Sirenuse into a hotel. In 1951 the luxurious hotel opened its door to tourists and visitors. Today, Le Sirenuse is a five stars hotel with authentic atmosphere of antique palazzo, and its popularity as well as room and service prices increase each year.

Each member of Sersale clan is in charge of his or her part of the family business. The initiator of the hotel perfume line launched in 2005 with the first fragrance Eau D'Italie is Marina Sersale, manager and a daughter of Paolo Sersale, one of the deceased patriarchs.

Eau D'Italie is not only a visiting card of the world known hotel, but also of the town of Positano and the whole carefree Italian south. All that are looking for an Italian fragrance, modern and antique, as all that is modern in Italy inevitably bears a mark of the history, or for the Mediterranean herbs and recreation in its odorous forests, have to get to know Eau D'Italie.

Eau D'Italie has captured the richness of the Southern Italy coast and the fine charm of Le Sirenuse. Salty sea breeze brings the aroma of orange in bloom, magnolia, unavoidable bergamot and black currant. Italian fragrance has to be sensual, and for that, spices, musk and incense are added to the composition.

Eau D'Italie is an unusual fragrance the composition of which is built around mineral and soily accords. The accord of soil or the mineral accord of clay (argile in French) is the central note of the composition. Witty perfumers have created this note of tuberose, or more precise, of its mineral part, by leaving the floral component aside. Thus Eau D'Italie is an original fragrance of a strong character, for both women and men.

The unusual opening of this composition is built of the notes of frankincense, accompanied with bergamot and balmy black currant buds. The dominant clay in the heart is surrounded by the floral notes of magnolia and tuberose. The uniqueness of this fragrance is accentuated by its base notes: amber, Island moss, cedar, patchouli, honey, sweet yellow carnation and musk.

Apart from eau de toilette, Eau D'Italie is produced as eau de cologne, and with matching body care products – body lotion, shower gel, shampoo, hear conditioner, bath salt, and soap. Therefore, Eau D’Italie can be sprayed, applied, and foamed to relax and soften us, and make us feel just like we are on vacation.

Besides Eau D'Italie, in 2006 Le Sirenuse created Paestrum Rose, Sienne l'Hiver (Sienne at Winter), and Bois d'Ombrie (The Woods of Ombria) – all in honor of Italian regions – Toscane with the capital of Sienne, Ombria, the region in the northern part of Amalfi, and the Paesto roses famous since the Roman times.
More about the fragrances can be seen at Eau D'Italie web site.

Author: Elena Knežević (jeca)
Fragrantica Member

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