The Intriguing Antique Pharmacies of Italy

Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

Florence is home to the oldest historical pharmacies in Europe. Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella via Della Scala, for example, is a pharmacy-museum, an ancient apothecary that in 2021 celebrated its eighth century! On November 11, 1221, the Dominican friars, a religious order particularly dedicated to the care of the sick, arrived here from Bologna and began to cultivate plants and produce medicines on a plot of land outside the city walls for their adjoining Convent of Santa Maria Novella. They produced rose water as early as 1381. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a friar made this art a trade, selling medicines, perfumes, elixirs, ointments, and balsams to the Florentine public. 

Profumeria Inglese

In Florence, the capital city of Tuscany, you'll find the Profumeria Inglese at Via Tornabuoni, now home to a famous fashion brand. Founded in 1843 by the British pharmacist Henry Roberts, it immediately distinguished itself not only for the novelty of talcum powder but also for the prestigious perfumes and liqueurs that could be found at the time. Today the English Perfumery is housed in its modern headquarters in Via dei Ginori, but the historic building in Tornabuoni, protected by the Superintendent of Fine Arts for Florence, retains the windows and furnishings of the original luxurious and refined space for public visits. Alabaster chandeliers and mahogany wood panels make it a place of great charm. The city of Florence has included this among the 57 historical businesses in the city.

Ai Do San Marchi Pharmacy

The elegantly designed Ai Do San Marchi pharmacy was located in Campo San Stin in Venice on the corner of Calle Donà. The earliest records of its existence date back to the second half of the seventeenth century, since documents show that in 1679 it was owned by Orazio Moscatello. In 1908 the widow of the last owner, Anna Mazzoni Costa, decided to sell the furnishings, which were subsequently purchased by the Parisian antiques dealer Raoul Heilbronneur. He was unable to transfer the entire acquisition to France so, at the suggestion of the Venetian sculptor Antonio Dal Zotto, he preferred to donate it to the Civic Museums of Venice. A visit here will introduce you to the original pharmacy as reconstructed in three rooms.

Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala

Thanks to its strategic location and proximity to St. Peter’s Cathedral, this business became so important that it was frequented by cardinals, princes, and even popes to the extent that it earned the nickname “pharmacy of the popes.” Founded in the sixteenth century for the friars of the nearby convent and open to the public at the end of the following century, the Spezieria (“apothecary”) di Santa Maria della Scala is the oldest pharmacy in Rome, a gem in the Trastevere district. It was managed by the order of the Discalced Carmelites, who grew, prepared, and sold their medicines here until 1954, the year the pharmacy was closed.

Spezieria di San Giovanni

A glorious example of an antique pharmacy, the Spezieria di San Giovanni is located within the walls of its namesake convent in Parma. Believed to be opened in 1201, the historic Spezieria may not possess its original décor, but its current three rooms contain shelving from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, upon which are placed small and large vases, albarelli, flasks, mugs, and mortars of artisans of different periods and origins.

Trisulti Charterhouse

Isolated a half-mile above sea level, in the deep green woods of the Ernici Mountains lies the famous Charterhouse, founded in 1204 by Pope Innocent III and entrusted from 1208 to the Carthusian monks. In 1947 they were replaced by the current Cistercians, experts in preparing precious elixirs with berries and medicinal herbs of the place. A marvel situated not far from Rome, plan a visit on your next trip! 

Antica Farmacia

Located near the city of Messina, this sixteenth-century Sicilian pharmacy is famous worldwide for its 238 ornate vases, modeled in 1580, true works of art of inestimable value. They are finely decorated with biblical, mythological, and historical scenes crafted in the famous Urbino workshop of Mastro Antonio Patanazzi.

Spezieria Serristori

Pop singer Sting lives nearby, but this isn’t the only reason Figline Valdarno in the province of Florence is worth checking out. You will be enchanted to make your way through Villa San Cerbone, on the premises of the hospital, to find the ancient Serristori apothecary of Figline Valdarno. The pharmacy was built in the first half of the sixteenth century inside the Ospedale Serristori, which was located in Piazza Marsilio Ficino and of which today only the beautiful Loggia remains. In 1890 the entire hospital was transferred to the hills of Villa San Cerbone together with the pharmacy, where it is still located.

Farmacia Navarra

The Bottega Storica Farmacia Navarra was founded in 1738 in Piazza Della Pace, now Corso Martiri Della Libertà in Ferrara, where it became the traditional meeting point of pharmacists, doctors, and local historians. This pharmacy enjoyed great fame for the countless preparations required throughout the Kingdom of Italy and continues to house the oldest pharmacy furnishings in the city.