In search of perfume: five special places in Florence

A historic workshop, opened in 1561 as an "apothecary's shop" in a property a few steps from the Cathedral and transformed after the mid-1800s into a pharmacy with the name "Farmacia all'insegna della SS. Annunziata" (Pharmacy under the banner of SS. Annunziata), from the scene of the Annunciation depicted in the ceramic effigy above the sign. The final name - "Farmacia della SS. Annunziata" (SS. Annunziata Pharmacy) - was in 1935.

Among the curiosities: the cucumber cream used by cyclist Gino Bartali to massage his athletes was invented here.

Today, the business is carried out on different locations: the pharmacy business has been moved out of the historic center, while the outlet on Via dei Servi has become the "Historical Headquarters SS. Annunziata Pharmacy since 1561 - Florence Italy". Inside, the splendid 17th-century furnishings can still be admired. A layout that has also been recreated in the new store on Via Porta Rossa.

In Florence’s “salotto buono” (literally, “formal parlor”, figuratively, an area frequented by high society) on Via Tornabuoni, with its parade of historic buildings, was once the English and American Pharmacy founded by Henry Roberts in 1843. The legacy in the creation of quality personal care and household products has been picked up by L’Officina de’ Tornabuoni, located in Palazzo Larderel on the same street.

Under its current ownership, the Officina has inherited Roberts’ herbarium and “scripts”, able to offer products that combine tradition with innovation.
A apothecary store that, among scents and fireplaces, welcomes you into an environment characterized by antique furniture and apothecary jars.