It must be time for me to go to Italy---I just eked out the very last bit of the precious almond hand cream that I buy from the lovely Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Near the 
imposing church (and train station) of the same name in Florence, hidden among non-descript buildings in an out-of-the-way street, stands one of Europe's oldest pharmacies.
This is not your neighborhood Walgreen's. The entry and various sales rooms are so gorgeous that they would be worth a visit, even if nothing were sold here. There are 
colorful frescoes---my favorite was created in 1848 for the main sales room. It depicts the four corners of the world where the fame of the pharmacy's aromatic and efficacious products had spread. There are magnificent chandeliers, marble floors, elegant display cases, and most of all the heavenly scents of rare perfumes.
The origins of the pharmacy go back to 1221 when a group of Dominican friars came to Florence, built their convent, and planted a large herb garden. The friars dispensed tinctures and ointments to the poor and soon started making the scented potions favored by the wealthy. Their products became highly sought after, and the most popular was a concentrated rose water which they touted as protecting its users from the plague.
In 1612, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany officially granted the Dominican friars of Santa Maria Novella the right to sell their herbal products, the Officina Profumo opened its doors and has prepared and sold remedies and luxuries ever since. The pharmacy still sells such venerable products as "Skin Whitening Powder" and Aceto 
dei Sette Ladri ("Vinegar of the Seven Thieves"), prescribed for hundreds of years for fainting spells.
One especially famous product is the perfume once known as Eau de la Reine ("Water of the Queen"). Originally created for Catherine de' Medici before she left Florence for Paris where she married Henri II and became Queen of France, the Renaissance formula was re-created in the early 16th century by one Giovanni Paolo Feminis. He later moved to Cologne, Germany and re-named his popular scent eau de cologne.
Today the pharmacy is no longer run by friars, but it privately owned. However, you can still find all kinds of deliciously scented products made with natural ingredients and ancient formulas: perfumes and colognes, potpourris and incense, candles, sachets and more. You can also buy rich face, hand and body creams, luxurious scented lotions, and hard-milled soaps, handmade and 
carefully wrapped and aged for six months. Of course, you can find my own personal favorite almond hand cream. Just opening the jar always carries me back to Florence, if only for an instant.
This is a wonderful place to shop for delightful and easy-to-
transport gifts, and Teresa and I consider it a must-see. Time of Your Life Tour's An Artful Tour of Florence & Venice and Tastes of Tuscany both include a visit to this amazing emporium.
