Carthusia

The brand can be called Carthusia the monks' perfume, or perhaps we can simply acknowledge the fact that it is made on an island in the heart of the Mediterranean, off the coast of Naples, on one of the most beautiful islands, Capri. What is certain is that this brand combines ancient traditions, rare flowers, legends, and a long history, while above all boasting a unique and pleasant fragrance. Legend has it that in 1380, Saint Carthusian abbot and priest Giacomo learned of the unexpected arrival in Capri of none other than Queen Giovanna d'Angiò. To welcome her, he prepared a flower arrangement made up of all the island's most beautiful flowers. However, the water in the vase where the flowers had been placed was not changed for three days. Then, when the flowers were thrown away, the holy father noticed that the water had acquired a wonderful fragrance unknown to him. He hurried to the alchemist, who was also one of the monastery's fathers. The alchemist traced the source of the wonderful fragrance, which was given the name "Garofilum silvestre caprese." In short, these flower waters were what created and became the first perfume of the island of Capri. This unique history continued when, in 1948, one of the monastery's fathers discovered the old formulas for the ancient perfumes and, with the pope's approval, consulted a chemist from Turin about them. Thus, the world's smallest laboratory was created and given the name Certosa. The ancient tradition of Carthusia continues to this day, with perfume production remaining limited because of the insistence on continuing to use the same methods as the Carthusian monks. All the products are made from original, high-quality ingredients, and even the final product is wrapped by hand. The essence derived from rosemary harvested on Monte Solaro is blended and used in men's products, while the wild Clove essence of Capri is used in women's fragrances. The Carthusia brand has around 24 perfumes. It is a long-established perfume house, with its earliest edition created in 1948 and its latest one dating from 2019. The brand's fragrances were created in collaboration with perfumers Luca Maffei and Laura Busti Tonatto. The brand's Terra Mia perfume is an oriental Vanil fragrance for women and men, launched in 2017. The nose behind the fragrance is Luca Maffei. Its top notes are Neroli, Pink pepper, and Bergamot; the middle notes consist of Coffee, Hazelnut, Vered, Orange blossom, and Jasmine; while the base notes combine Vanil, Amberwood, Ambroxan, and Musk. The perfume's creators say their inspiration comes from velvety, captivating perfumes that taste as good as Coffee and Hazelnuts, interwoven with raw nature made of Orange blossom, Pink pepper, and Jasmine. When a vibrant, ancient soul gazes out at an idyllic Sea and hears resonant earth, our passion, my earth, or in Italian, Terra Mia. This is a fragrance with a pleasant presence that lasts for a perfectly reasonable amount of time on the skin. It is especially suitable for cool winter and autumn days. In contrast, the Io Capri perfume by Carthusia is an aromatic fragrance for women and men. Io Capri was launched in 2000, which could certainly make it a classic fragrance. The nose behind the perfume is Laura Busti Tonatto. Its top notes are mint, eucalyptus, Sicilian Lemon, star anise, Brazilian Orange, and a cube of litsea; the middle notes are fig, tea, Wildflowers, lemongrass, Apple blossom, and Egyptian Jasmine; while the base notes are seaweed blossom and Tobacco. This perfume is an aromatic tribute to Capri, to which Emperor Tiberius dedicated one of the island's royal villas. The mature notes used here, including wild fig combined with tea leaves, point to a dynamic and spiritual blend.