Legend has it that in 1380 the father prior of the Carthusian Monastery of St. Giacomo was taken unawares by the news of the arrival of the Queen Giovanna D' Angio' in Capri and so made a flower arrangement with the most beautiful flowers of the island. The water was not changed for three days and, when the flowers were thrown away, the prior noticed that the water acquired a fragrance unknown to him. He went to the father alchemist who traced the origin of this scent back to the "Garofilium Silvestre Caprese". That water became the first perfume of Capri. History, on the other hand, relates that in 1948 the prior of the Monastery discovered the old formulas of the perfumes and, by permission of the Pope, revealed them to a chemist of Torino, who created the smallest laboratory in the world and called it "Carthusia", i.e. "Certosa". The tradition is now being continued and the limited production means being able to use the same methods as the Carthusian monks. All the preparations are made from genuine products of high quality and even the end product is hand-wrapped. The essence derived from rosemary picked on Monte Solaro is used in men's products, while the essence of Capri wild carnation is used in women's fragrances. |
