Legend has it that Saint Julius left his brother Giuliano the task of building the ninety-ninth church in Gozzano, setting off alone in search of the place to build the hundredth.
When he arrived at the shores of the lake and saw the island, he decided that he would build it there, but unfortunately he found no one willing to ferry him.
Julius would then spread his cloak on the waters of the lake and reach the island by sailing on it.
Once he landed on the island, he fought and defeated dragons and snakes that inhabited the place, a symbol of pagan superstition, banishing them forever and thus laying the foundations of the 100th church in the same spot where the basilica of San Giulio stands today.
Unusual fragrances, the continuous intertwining of smells of lake water, plant mosses, osmanthus of cypresses, and enchanting flowers such as hydrangeas, give Orta a fairy-tale appearance.
From ancient legends comes the perfume of Orta that wants to continue to perfume modern princesses and princes, lovers of the journeys and dreams that only this corner of paradise can convey.
It was a morning in the last days of April, blue sky, pleasant temperature and our island a mirage on the lake. A young man with a firm step in the company of a puppy dog enters the shop saying that Orta, with its landscapes is magical and special, a place of peace. He has to give a gift to a woman who is very important to him. At first I think it is for his mother, but when he smells the perfume, a smile and a few words make me realise that he did not want a present for his mother, but for the girl who had stolen his heart. The boy’s eyes sparkled as I packed the perfume: he felt he had made the right choice. Her puppy in the meantime had been lying in front of the display of the boy’s chosen perfume: the women’s fragrance, ‘for her’. He seemed so enchanted by that scent that he almost supported his master’s choice. The young man says they had walked a lot that morning, even though it was early, and says he found an analogy between the smells caught in his walk and those in the shop.
A few months later, in the early hours of the afternoon, the boy with the loving eyes returns to my shop. No longer with his puppy. Next to him a girl. Bringing her love to Orta meant introducing her to that enchanted place, which has inspired many poets, and to the shop she had chosen for her gift. I immediately tell the young man that I recognised him. He revealed that the perfume was much appreciated and the girl with a big smile confirmed this. He wanted to introduce all the fragrances to his beloved by buying her another gift.
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