Santa Maria Novella
Florence, and how we came to represent it
Years ago I went to Florence to learn Santa Maria Novella from the inside, not as a showroom visit but as time spent within the business itself.
I walked the organic farms where the botanicals are grown, spent days in the workshops where the formulas are still made by hand, and sat with the executive team to understand the DNA of a house that has been at this for eight hundred years. Founded by Dominican friars in 1221 and open as an apothecary since 1612, it is among the oldest pharmacies in the world.
Only after all of that were we proudly selected to represent Santa Maria Novella here. So this is not a brand we simply stock. We know how it is grown, how it is made and what it stands for, and we are its home on the Mornington Peninsula.
Discover the house of Santa Maria Novella.
Santa Maria Novella, in short
What is Santa Maria Novella?
Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, born in the friary of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Dominican friars began cultivating herbs and making remedies there from 1221, and it has traded as an apothecary since 1612. Today it makes fragrance, skincare, bath and body and home, from botanical formulas, many of them centuries old and still produced in Florence.
What is the house known for?
Acqua della Regina, the eau de cologne created for Catherine de' Medici in the sixteenth century, alongside rose water, the Melograno and Rosa Novella bath and body ranges, the Idralia skincare line, scented wax tablets and potpourri. Natural ingredients, botanicals grown on the house's own farms, and formulas held largely unchanged for generations.
Where can you buy Santa Maria Novella on the Mornington Peninsula?
At Amelie & Frank's, online with complimentary shipping Australia-wide and in person at Red Hill. We are the house's home on the Peninsula, selected to represent it here after time spent in Florence on its farms and in its workshops, so we can guide you to the right fragrance or ritual with real knowledge.
Questions, answered
How old is Santa Maria Novella?
It traces to 1221, when Dominican friars began making remedies and distillations at the friary of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and it has operated as an apothecary since 1612. It is widely regarded as among the oldest pharmacies in the world.
Where are Santa Maria Novella products made?
In Florence, from botanicals many of which are grown on the house's own organic farms. A number of the formulas are centuries old and are still made largely by hand.
Is Amelie & Frank's an official Santa Maria Novella stockist?
Yes. We were selected to represent the house in Australia after spending time inside the business in Florence, and we are its stockist on the Mornington Peninsula. You can shop the range online Australia-wide or with us at Red Hill.
What should I try first?
If you are new to the house, the fragrances are the place to begin, Acqua della Regina above all. For the home, the scented wax tablets and potpourri, and for the skin, the Idralia line. Tell us what you love and we will guide you, we know this house well.
Does Amelie & Frank's ship Santa Maria Novella Australia-wide?
Yes, with complimentary standard shipping across Australia, and express available.
