Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella occupies a former chapel filled with frescoes and vaulted ceilings, identifiable by the brass plaque outside marking it as one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. Dominican friars founded the shop in twelve twenty-one to distill herbal remedies for their infirmary. In fifteen thirty-three, they crafted a signature perfume for Catherine de' Medici before she left for France. The shop remains a working space, still perfuming the street with heavy, floral incense.