Toscana & Chianti News

Beauty

THE PRECIOUS TREASURE OF THE ISLAND

A few kilometres from the Tuscan coast, Elba Islands knowingly awaits the coming of the summer season and the bathers fond of its shores.

For those who just cannot bear to wait for the return of the summer to be able to savour anew Elba’s fragrances and scents, the perfumed essence produced on the island may be the ideal solution.

In a small, precious bottle, the natural raw materials, handcrafted in the Marciana Marina workshops, transform themselves into the scented essences which have enhanced the allure of the region from the late 1990s.

The harmony out of which the Acqua dell'Elba products are born constitutes the ideal blend of nature and craftsmanship, passion and quality, while adhering to three main principles: excellence, creativity and uniqueness.

Legend has it that all would seem to originate from Pauline Bonaparte, who, during a dip in the small bay, revealed to Napoleon her wish to create scented essences on the island, and that she was certain that the result would far exceed the Parisian standards.

Hence the Emperor, believing in his sister’s intuition, commissioned a workshop where the fragrance could be created.

Alas, just when things seemed to be running smoothly, an unfledged bird flew off with the essence’s formula. The princess, the legend continues, would remember that essence for the rest of her life: Acqua dell'Elba [The Water of Elba].

Subsequently, a small ivory statue of refined gold manufacturing was retrieved in a sailing vessel that had sunk in the 2nd century A.D., right in front of Pauline’s rock. It contained a scented balm. It is said that finding it fuelled the dream of three young inhabitants of Elba, who, for more than a decade, have been producing Acqua dell'Elba in several product types.

From the classic water, light and delicate, both pour femme and pour homme, to body care products, right up to a range designed especially for children, bright and bubbly, with fruit and flower notes.

The relationship with Mediterranean nature and landscape is also testified by projects devoted to the surrounding environment.

A series of interventions have in fact been set up, whose aim is to enhance the environmental heritage by means of the creation – in partnership with Legambiente – of a network of “Nature Paths”: itineraries where a simple walk along the path is enhanced by information on the island’s flora and fauna.

And since culture also wants its share, the Acqua dell'Elba brand will back contemporary art exhibits and the project for the Centro per la Socializzazione dei Disabili [a meeting and social venue for the disabled], which involves the set-up of a music workshop.