A Modern Renaissance

One who burns with passion, one fuelled by ambition, another who warms the heart. Each holds a big symbol that contributes to their perspective of a long ‘scented’ journey with Caterina de’ Medici from Florence to Paris. Meet luxury Italian lifestyle brand Ginori and their first-ever venture into scent, blending history with contemporary spiced together with a little bit of humour. Read more in A Modern Renaissance.

The Lover, The Lady, The Firemaster, The Scholar and The Amazon, all of these historical figures who are thought to have built up the entourage of Caterina de’ Medici are brought together by special alchemy; each symbolises an ideal that kindles one’s inner fire.

Travelling from Italy to France with her entourage, Caterina de’ Medici had a profound influence on the cultural and artistic development in Europe. Accompanied by Ronarto Blance, a master of distilling herbs and spices, the pair began the use of perfumes in the French court with the use of her creative insight and his skills in alchemy.

Some might say it was destiny that the pair created the opportunity for French nobility to discover and fall in love with the crafted substance that held the power to enhance personal relations and also boost the prestige of the wearer.

It may well paint in our mind a procession of characters that are not dissimilar to those in the famous Chaucer’s British literature, The Canterbury Tales, which contains 24 stories detailing tales and descriptions of its characters to paint an ironic and critical portrait of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church.

Ginori 1735 has crafted the characters in the story of Caterina de’ Medicito to be well-formed and there is certainly a ‘brush of humour’ about these Italian characters in the new collection, La Compagnia Di Caterina.

For almost 300 years Ginori 1735 has been positioned as one of the leading brands in the lifestyle and luxury goods sector, an expression of Italian excellence in pure porcelain and design of the highest quality. Now as they take their first venture into the world of home fragrance, they celebrate a modern renaissance with timeless, scented works of art as a tribute to the characters that were imagined having formed Caterina de’ Medici’s court.

Offering a utopian vision of the present in which everyone is on fire for an ideal, the characters are each symbolic of traits that Caterina de’ Medici would have valued most in her court.

A smile comes to mind that these characters are now carved forever in ‘stone’ as holders of scent rather than being known for their intelligence or skill but for being formed of porcelain.

The talented Italian designer, Luca Nichetto, was enlisted by Ginori 1735 to help experiment and craft the range. Taking inspiration from the brands’ roots and the faces that make up a signature part of the brands’ design, Nichetto connected them with the story of Caterina de’ Medici and the collaboration to craft a modern renaissance began.

By using these archetypal protagonists to help shape the collection, Luca Nichetto’s creative vision crafted a blend of classicism of ancestral statues with rigorous lines to all the faces and sculptures to hold a mysterious depth and iconic dimension.

The collection is broken down into objects that are inspired by each of the characters who joined Caterina de’ Medici on her journey from Italy to France, each bringing their own big qualities to create a wide range of products for you to choose from.

L’amante

A candleholder crafted in the form of a man in a neoclassical style made from porcelain, the lover captures a sense of timeless beauty and everlasting passion.

Holding the symbol of passion and otherwise known as the lover, he carries a flame that can burn in one night or last a lifetime. Draped in cloth, his face is hidden to cover his flaming passion that cannot be extinguished.

La Dama

The scented candle in a cylindrical sculpture whose lines craft a feminine face in white porcelain portrays the lady who holds an ethereal elegance that is felt by everyone around her.

A symbol of grace the lady is elegant and mysterious. Everyone talks about her but the whispers that flow through the air only make her burn more brightly.

L’addetoo Al Fuoco

The candle snuffer features a contrasting face design in white on the front with petrol blue porcelain on the body, the FireMaster has the courage to put out the flames for you.

The FireMaster holds the symbol of courage and warms the heart of the palace, with one breath he has the power to ignite the fire and with another, the power to extinguish it.

Il Letterato

The scenting totem is a porcelain sculpture in the form of a bust. The upper part is adorned with a hat-like cylindrical container designed to carefully protect the candle and its wisdom.

The Scholar holds the symbol of wisdom and contemplates the great design of life. An attentive observer who tells the stories of our human dramas whilst captivating an audience with his wisdom and insight.

L’amazzone

A scent diffuser in the form of a fighting female figure, proud and domineering she wears a battle helmet as a symbol of her strength and her perceptiveness.

The Amazon takes charge of her own destiny, the symbol of leadership she emboldens everyone around her with her strength and perception. She is proud of herself and the world pays her respect for it.

The sophisticated and innovative characters are designed to be capable of evoking emotions and reawakening sensations whilst telling the tale of a symbolic and sensory journey. Three different essences have been crafted to help represent this symbolic journey from Florence to Paris, not only to delight the eyes but the nose as well.

The first scent, Orange Renaissance, is inspired by the favoured ingredient during the era of the Medici’s in Florence, a joyful and charming blend that pays tribute to the orange blossom. The top notes of bergamot and blackcurrant fuse with the middle notes of mint and Tuscan cypress, whilst the bottom notes of honey and musk combine the fragrance to create an essence that has the power to seduce and burn with love.

Purple Hill, the second scent, evokes the sensation of the Tuscan hills in full spring blossom, the fresh, light and floral fragrance is a memory of effortless beauty that lingers and persuades you. With top notes of mandarin and bergamot that artfully blend into the middle notes of lavender and violet leaf, with bottom notes of white flowers and whitewood, this floral fragrance is designed to transport and refresh you.

Black Stone, the third and final scent, is inspired by the Black Stone talisman given to Caterina de’ Medici by an astrologer in her court. Crafted to evoke the spices used by alchemists in that period, this fragrance is crafted to be the fragrance of discovery as it holds the power to keep the fire burning in each of us. With top notes of nutmeg, cloves and ginger that blend into the middle note of patchouli and the base notes of amber and musk.

From the luxuriously created fragrances to represent different aspects of the journey from Italy to France to the creative vision and portrayal of the unique characters who embarked on this journey, Ginori 1735 has crafted a collection of pieces that represent a variety of personalities intended to provide a modern renaissance that you can keep in your home.

If you enjoyed reading A Modern Renaissance, read Chanel’s Golden Girls here.

Find out more about the collection La Compagnia Di Caterina here.