Santa Maria Novella

Specialties

This Santa Maria Novella boutique answers the calls of D.C.‘s worldly sophisticates who have long asked for the international boutique to open in their neighborhood.

Santa Maria Novella is one of the world’s oldest pharmacies. First founded in 1221 in Florence by the Dominican Friars who started making herbal remedies and potions to use in the monastery. Their reputation became world renowned and the pharmacy, sponsored by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, opened to the public in 1612.

Many of Santa Maria Novella’s products have become a part of history: the world famous pot-​pourri is still hand crafted in terra cotta vats using local essences and plants and has been the tradition since the 1200’s. And the first «Eau de Cologne» has been attributed to the pharmacy’s creation in the 1500’s of Catherine de Medeci’s «Water of the Queen.»

History

Established in 1612.

The first stage of existence of the Officina Profumo — Farmaceutica di S.M. Novella can be traced back to the 1221 when the Domenican friars, arriving in Florence, built their monastery just outside the city gate. Shortly afterwards they began to study and experiment the properties of officinal herbs grown in their gardens next to the monastery. The preparations obtained in this way (medicaments, balms and ointments) were at first intended for the monastery’s small infirmary, used to keep the friars and other members of the community in good health.

After 400 years of uninterrupted business tradition is perpetuated and renewed. Raw materials of the highest quality are still used and apothecary father’s artisanal procedures are still followed, yet the company avails itself of modern technology and state of the art equipment.