The “Campagne d’Italie” Alabaster captures a moment in History: when dreams of glory and conquest took flight beyond the Piedmont and Lombardy countryside, in 1796. Delicate bergamot and grapefruit rinds, still warm from the sun, blend with woody cedar and oak notes.
The head notes of “Campagne d’Italie” are reminiscent of the perfumes celebrated in 18th-century Italy, such as “Aqua Mirabilis”, designed by Italian nuns and known to have inspired the well-known “Eau de Cologne”, with bergamot, citrus fruit and nutmeg as star ingredients. Napoleon Bonaparte discovered the fragrance during his Italian campaign and became enthralled by it, almost to the point of obsession. Historians documented his use of thirty-odd bottles per month – a habit he kept even in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Rumour has it that he would consume a few drops on a piece of sugar before going on the battlefield.
At its heart, behind the intoxicating fresh citrus fruit notes, the fragrance outlines a fascinating landscape with the woody accords of a trio of cedar, oak and sandalwood. A graceful homage to the sublime hills and plains scattered along the banks of the river Pô, from the Piedmont vineyards to the magnificent Lombardy lakes.
Lastly, “Campagne d’Italie” crescendoes to the grand finale of the fireworks with unapologetic hedonism. The scent celebrates the Italian way of life, its bright sensuality with the bewitching sweetness of vanilla, Tonka bean and patchouli.
The Peoples throng around your beauty,
Their hearts aflame, their minds lit at your fire,
Your perfume carried with them always!
A l’Italie, Poèmes barbares, Leconte de Lisle (1862)
NB
A poetic evocation of bucolic hills from another era, “Campagne d’Italie” was chosen by the mythical Hôtel de Crillon, one of the seven 5-star luxury hotels nested in the heart of Paris, on the Place de la Concorde, to be their signature interior fragrance, using scented candles and alabasters.
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Engraving on soap