A Perfume Itinerary Through Rome, Florence & Venice

La Dolce Vita Profumata

It’s taken me a minute to get my thoughts together on this whirlwind adventure, but here is my Italian perfume guide!

I was in Italy for two weeks in May participating in the Premio Aromata creative perfumery exhibition (my fragrance, Sylvia: Her Blackened Fig, won!) Italy is heaven for fragrance lovers, and I planned my entire trip around visiting as many scent spots as possible. If you want to follow in my fragrant footsteps, here’s a quick guide to the best perfume stops in Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Rome

First stop: the Farmacia Vaticana after my tour of the Vatican museums. A follower tipped me off that the Vatican has its own line of perfumes—and yes, it’s real, but super hidden! You’ll find it in a separate pharmacy building past St. Peter’s Basilica. Their main line includes Oro, Mirra, Rosa Mistica, and Incenso, all inspired by the gifts of the Magi. Since 2025 is a Jubilee year, they also released two limited editions: Nardo (based on spikenard, used to anoint Jesus) and Giglio. I bought Nardo—it’s resinous, slightly indolic, and feels ancient in the best way.

Next, while treating myself to tiramisu at Two Sizes (the pistachio omg), I stumbled across Parione 30 Parfum that specializes in Italian perfumes. You’ll find Gritti and Tiziana Terenzi, but as a goth girl, I was very excited to discover the brand, Coreterno. I loved all of their fragrances—particularly Punk Motel, but No Sleep was the bottle that came home with me.

End your scent day on Via Vittoria, aka Rome’s Fragrance Road. Zielinski & Rozen has old-school apothecary bottles and scent options in oils, room sprays, and soaps. And if you’re ready to splurge, head to Campomarzio 70. It’s niche perfume paradise, packed with exclusive and familiar favorites. There are other stops on Via Vittoria too, including Ortigia, Dr. Vranjes, Le Labo and Nishane.

Florence

Your first stop should absolutely be Santa Maria Novella. It’s across from the basilica and one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe. It feels like a living museum. Be sure to grab Aqua della Regina, made for Catherine de’ Medici.

Next, take a walk across the Ponte Vecchio to Florence’s Fragrance Road. Start at AquaFlor—my favorite shop in all of Italy—and then head to Alessandro Serpico for Gladiator, a beautifully crafted scent. One more block up is Sileno Cheloni, where you can make your own perfume or buy a pomander (I couldn’t resist). Finish with Lorenzo Villoresi, who also has a small museum of raw materials.

If you’re a fellow history nerd, check out Acqua di Firenze for perfumes inspired by Machiavelli and Medici lore (it’s only a few blocks from Santa Maria Novella). And if you’re connected to the International Perfume Bottle Association (join now if you aren’t!), see if you can meet Luciano—he let me visit his home collection of 20,000 antique bottles!

Venice

The romance and intrigue of Venice is unmatched. Venetian merchants were once the gateway in which Europeans got to experience perfumes of the East. The glassmakers of Murano also added to the craft of exquisite perfume bottles.

Start your day in Venice with a photo walking tour—it’s the best way to get dreamy pics and orient yourself before you inevitably get lost in the canals. After fulfilling my lifelong dream of a gondola ride (hi Osvaldo, my Venetian photographer bestie), I stopped by Libreria Acqua Alta, the most aesthetic bookstore in the world, where I picked up a hot priest calendar (for my friends, ok?) and some journals.

Next, brunch at Caffé Florian in St. Mark’s Square—aka the oldest café in Venice. Yes, they have a perfume discovery set, and no, it’s not a gimmick. I especially loved the coffee scent – Aqua Moresca.

Then I hit the local perfume circuit. The Merchant of Venice offers stunning Murano glass-inspired bottles and a high-end boutique experience. I liked the scents, though none came home with me.

My favorite Venetian stop? Muschiere. I fell hard for their scent Hunab Ku—a cozy, spiced fragrance that smells like Mexican hot chocolate. Absolutely divine.

After that, I got epically lost trying to find Palazzo Mocenigo, Venice’s hidden gem of a perfume museum. It’s quiet, tucked away, and ideal for anyone wanting a break from the crowds. I lucked out—the Storp Collection exhibit had just opened the day before I arrived, and it was magical (and mildly devastating—those bottles are now the stuff of my dreams).

All that before 2 p.m.—so I napped, then took myself out to the prettiest canal-side dinner of my life. Gondolas drifted by, and I soaked in the atmosphere completely solo. It felt indulgent and a little cinematic—in the best way.

Even on the way out, the perfume vibes didn’t stop: the Venice airport has a Dolce & Gabbana store to tempt you one last time. And tempt me it did—I picked up a bottle of Velvet Zafferano, which has an exquisite saffron note to spice up its ambery base.

What I loved most about my time in Italy was that anywhere you go, you might find a small apothecary or perfume shop down a random street. Truly a perfume lover’s paradise.

I’m hosting a perfume trip that goes from Venice to Florence to Rome with an optional extension to Sorrento in May 2026—reach out to me if you want to join us!