Carthusia

Carthusia The legend, history and tradition of Carthusia scents is as unforgettable as the fragrances themselves. Legend has it that in 1380, the father prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. Giacomo was so taken aback by the news of the arrival of the Queen Giovanna D'Anjou that he prepared a collection of the most beautiful flowers on the Island of Capri. The flowers sat for three days in the same water, and when the prior went to throw them away he noticed the water had a acquired an unknown, yet beautiful, fragrance. He took his findings to an alchemist who traced the fragrance back to a wild carnation native to Capri. That water became the first perfume of Capri. In 1948, the prior of the Monastery discovered the old perfume formulas of fragrances, and by permission of the Pope created the smallest laboratory in the world, called “Carthusia.” Today, the tradition of Carthusia perfume continues, as the limited production methods are the same ones used by the Carthusian monks. All perfume preparations are made from natural raw materials of high quality—even the finished product is hand-wrapped. The essence derived from rosemary picked on Monte Solaro is used in the men’s fragrance, while the wild pink Capri is the basis of women's products.