The Essence of Capri in a Bottle
Capri island smells wonderful. It’s the first thing you notice when you find yourself away from her busy, cobbled streets. A visit to Mount Solaro reveals acres of open land. Cotton ball clouds scuttle overhead against a deep blue sky scented with the countless wildflowers that carpet the rolling hills and craggy limestone cliffs above Capri’s sister city, Anacapri. It’s a sensory overload.
The aroma of mimosa blooms and orange blossoms fills the air, the hillsides vibrating with color and the smell of rich, fertile soil in the warm afternoon sunshine. The island is a geological marvel, and its unique position in the Straits of Sorrento makes it ideal for diverse plant and animal life.
Why Carthusia Perfume?
Nature is tied to the rhythm of life in most Mediterranean countries and integral to local traditions, recipes, and products. But, more importantly, many of these natural assets are found only in Mediterranean countries, resulting from unique geologic and biologic conditions.
On Capri, the mild summers extend the flower growing season late into the year, and the wet months of December through April keep the limestone soil moist for the next growing season. One tiny shop on the island is intimately bound to this rhythm: Carthusia.
The Carthusia Capri Fragrance
You’ll find Carthusia down a winding walkway near the ancient Certosa di San Giacomo south of town. Here, the overwhelming scent of wildflowers comes not from the hillsides but from a small, Hobbit-like storefront fronted by an odd kettle-like object in the overflowing flower beds that frame a low glass door and a small hand-painted sign.
Carthusia is an intimate apothecary: two parts nature and two parts magic with a long history and a strong connection to Nature’s heartbeat on the island. Everything on the shelves has a handcrafted feel, as if the elixir in each bottle is a unique concoction with near-mystical powers. Virginia, a young entrepreneur, owns Carthusia along with her parents. As businesses go, Carthusia ranks as one of the oldest in continual operation on the island.
Legends of Carthusia Perfume
Legend has it that in 1380, the prior of St. James Carthusian Monastery received a surprise. The Queen Joan of Anjou was coming to Capri. He knew, of course, that she would expect royal treatment, so he sent his monks out to scour the island for the most beautiful, fragrant flowers they could find. While he waited for the Queen to arrive, the massive bouquet sat in a large cistern of cool water for three days.
Whether the Queen saw them or not, we’ll never know. But we do know that when the Father went to throw them away, he noticed that the water had taken on a mysterious fragrance. So he sought out a friar at the monastery who specialized in alchemy, who traced the scent back to a wild carnation called the “Garofilium Silvestre Caprese.” This lucky accident became the very first perfume of Capri.
Fast forward to 1948. The Prior of the Charterhouse researched old records and came across the friar’s formula for making perfume from local plants and flowers. He was intrigued and wrote to the Pope, who permitted him to seek out a chemist to bring the recipe to life. This chemist traveled from Piemonte in the North of Italy to Capri and followed the ancient manuscript to the letter. The rest is history. Charterhouse, or “Carthusia,” was born as the smallest perfume factory in the world. It remains so to this day.
Visitors to Carthusia marvel at the centuries-old knowledge that permeates every inch of the store. Oils and minerals from materials found only on Capri are still extracted in the store by hand at the factory about the size of a Manhattan apartment kitchen. A single chemist works behind clear glass windows so you can see the process happen before your eyes.
Carthusia: The Artful Perfume of Capri
On Capri, history is never too far away to touch your daily life. Carthusia is living history. Fragrances are bound to the island not only by tradition but also by ingredients that can only be found there. It brings the fragrant, windblown cliffs above the Faraglioni, from the flowers that grow there, onto your skin. It’s a sensual reminder that fragrance-making is an intimate art, skin close. It infuses Capri’s spectacular natural flora with science to create pure, intense emotions refined by 650 years of mastering the olfactory arts.
