The best way to understand the latest scent from the Acqua di Parma house – apart from smelling it of course – is to understand where it’s from, Taormina. If you have seen Michelangelo Antonioni’s masterpiece “L’Avventura”; Luc Besson’s “The Big Blue” or more recently Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part III” or Woody Allen’s lighthearted film “Mighty Aphrodite” then you have in fact seen Taormina. Located in the Province of Messina, but almost closer to Catania, Taormina was built upon a spectacular rocky terrace. Set like a pearl in a ring, it has the magical grace that all timeless locations posses. It is unique, with Etna looming, behind and the liquid blue the Ionian to the fore.
“If a man had only a day to spend in Sicily and were to ask what to see, I would reply without hesitation: Taormina”
– Guy de Maupassant
Taormina features magnificent blooms at all times of the year: roses from May to December, cascades of bougainvillea and oleanders in summer; jasmine that blossoms right until the short winter comes. On clear days you can even see the tip of Calabria, outlined and defined by the light, but sentimentality aside, a it’s a place guaranteed a certain security from enemies, be they approaching by land or by sea.
A FRAGRANCE FOR THE SENSES AND THE SOUL
The history of Taormina is witness to layer upon layer of possible influences: Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Aragoneses, Angevin; the repeated waves of destruction and reconstruction have each left something behind; and such is the composition of the fragrance. The top notes conveys a fortifying harmony with the citrus notes of citron and petit grain combined with the aromatic notes of basil that captures the senses like a fresh and scented breeze. Soon after, black pepper and lavender at the heart trigger sparkling crisp and spicy vibrations. It feels as if the clear sky, the depths of the volcano, and the endless horizon of the sea were melting into each other, heightening energy to the senses and the spirit. At last comes the rewarding balance of the base, where sweet cistus blends with the warm, soft, and elegant notes of Haitian vetiver and Virginia cedar wood.
The rich blue glass of Cedro di Taormina’s bottle creates reflections that call to mind the striking effect of the waves. The label bears the name of the fragrance in intense citron on a white base with the iconic Art Deco design of the cap and bottle characterizes the Acqua di Parma world, finished off with the signature hand-made cylindrical box, in deep blue with embossed-paper.
Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cedro di Taormina is priced £61 (75ml) and £87 (150ml) and available now from JohnLewis.com.
