Artisanal perfumery in Renaissance palace, custom scents, unique fragrances


































"I booked a workshop at Aquaflor Firenze to work with a master perfumer and appreciated the crash course in the history and craft of perfume‑making in Florence." - CNT Editors
"At AquaFlor Firenze I make my own perfume in a session held in a historic Renaissance palace that runs about an hour to 90 minutes, and I take home my signature scent in a 100-milliliter bottle." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

"You will probably smell a whiff of roses emanating from Aquaflor well before you arrive. Inside the stunning 16th-century Palazzo Corsini-Serristori in the Santa Croce neighborhood, Sileno Cheloni creates scents that vividly evoke the Tuscan seaside or pine forests. Cheloni studied with a Sufi master in Cyprus and worked in Milan and Lucca to learn Renaissance techniquesbefore opening thisshop, made up of three rooms lined withwooden apothecary cabinets that display glass bottles. Large tables are piled with soaps in scents like tomato-leaf and rose. Spend some time in the Parlor of Essences to create your own unique bouquet or learn about the rare oilsthat are used to fashion the signature fragrances."


"You will probably smell a whiff of roses emanating from Aquaflor well before you arrive. Inside the stunning 16th-century Palazzo Corsini-Serristori in the Santa Croce neighborhood, Sileno Cheloni creates scents that vividly evoke the Tuscan seaside or pine forests. Cheloni studied with a Sufi master in Cyprus and worked in Milan and Lucca to learn Renaissance techniquesbefore opening thisshop, made up of three rooms lined withwooden apothecary cabinets that display glass bottles. Large tables are piled with soaps in scents like tomato-leaf and rose. Spend some time in the Parlor of Essences to create your own unique bouquet or learn about the rare oilsthat are used to fashion the signature fragrances."


"Housed in a ravishing vaulted space—formerly the stables of a grand, Renaissance-era palazzo—this shop has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance. But once you're through the modest doorway, you'll find yourself immersed in the sensual fantasy world of the legendary perfumery. Master perfumer Nicola Bianchi founded his business in Lucca before moving to this space in Florence’s Santa Croce neighborhood, the only outlet for his collections, which are all beautifully displayed in mahogany-and-glass cabinets or laid out on antique tables. It's as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the olfactory nerve." - Erica Firpo
