Discover the history of the oldest perfumery The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella was founded in 1221 by Dominican friars in Florence. Considered the oldest pharmacy in the world, it operates in the same place where its history began. It began 800 years ago, when the Dominican friars had access to Santa Maria Inter Vineas (Saint Mary among the vines). It was a small church located outside of Florence, surrounded by a garden. From this small space came a botanical garden, where the friars cultivated plants and herbs to make medicines, ointments and balms. The work of the monks became known when they came to treat a merchant from one of the most powerful families in the city, Dardano Acciaioli. As a sign of gratitude for their care, he donated to them the Chapel of St. Nicholas in Florence, which is still today the location of the Santa Maria Novella store and museum. A few years later, in 1533, the fame of the house spread to Europe, when Catherine de Medici chose Renato Bianco, raised by the brothers, as her personal perfumer to accompany her to the French court. In 1542, the pharmacy opened to the general public, to be officially known as Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who also granted it the name Fonderia di Sua Altezza Reale. The pharmacy was then run by great specialists in medicine, alchemy and aromatics.