To preserve and share Italian history and excellence with the world
Supporting culture is a natural extension of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella's identity. Founded in 1221 by Dominican friars, the oldest pharmacy in the world still in operation is itself a guardian of the history of Florence and European perfumery. Now part of the Italmobiliare Group, Officina sees its role in the world not only as a producer of artisanal excellence, but also as an ambassador of Italian culture around the world.
Two recent examples illustrate this approach. The first is the support for the exhibition “Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504”, hosted between November 2024 and February 2025 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella was the only Italian partner in this project, which recounts a unique moment in the Italian Renaissance, when these three extraordinary artists lived and worked in Florence at the same time. In addition to highlighting the link with Leonardo da Vinci, who was staying at the Santa Maria Novella convent at the time, where the Officina had already been operating for almost 300 years and where the historic shop in Via della Scala is still located today, the exhibition was an opportunity for a series of targeted activations in London - where the brand has three stores (in Burlington Gardens, Piccadilly and Walton Street) and two corners (at Harrods and Liberty London) -involving customers, the press and selected contacts.
The second example is the participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka: for the entire duration of the exhibition, which will end on October 13, 2025, the essences of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella will perfume some of the rooms of the Italian Pavilion. Designed by architect Mario Cucinella, the Pavilion is inspired by the theme ‘Art Regenerates Life’ and represents a modern interpretation of the Ideal City of the Renaissance, with its theater, porticoes, square, and Italian garden, places typical of Italy's urban and social identity. In this prestigious international setting, Officina is the protagonist with an olfactory installation located inside a multisensory wooden theater, designed to offer an immersive experience that focuses on perfume as a cultural language: an invitation to slow down, perceive, and let yourself be guided by your senses. At the heart of the project is Pot Pourri, one of the brand's oldest and most iconic creations, dating back to 1743 and composed of a secret blend of herbs, flowers, and spices.
Participation in the Osaka Expo is accompanied by an integrated communication plan involving visitors to the Italian Pavilion, stakeholders, and strategic partners through a coordinated presence on the brand's digital and physical channels. The highlight of the experience will be an immersive workshop, where the public will be able to discover the secrets of the raw materials, the processing techniques and the sustainable approach that characterises Officina's production.
Through these initiatives, Santa Maria Novella confirms its vocation not to limit itself to preserving history, but to bring it up to date and make it accessible, transforming the past into a living, shared experience. At a time when companies are called upon to generate value beyond the product itself, supporting culture becomes an act of responsibility, a way to create bonds, inspire communities, and leave a lasting mark. Santa Maria Novella does this with consistency, elegance, and vision.