As subjective as it is invisible, our sense of smell is usually ranked as the last of our five senses, and yet it does have a remarkable ability to influence our emotions and stir memories in unexpected ways. A journey into the world of scents, its innovations and evocative stories.

Immersed as we are in a world of physical objects and now increasingly in a digital dimension where everything is based around things we see and hear, we can still – thankfully! – be amazed and get a real feeling of pleasure when we smell something, through that most ethereal, instinctive, primordial and uncontrollable of sensory experiences. Certain smells and scents remind us of moments from our past, reawakening feelings from long ago and introducing us to new ones. In other words, they make us feel good.

To help us concentrate, or relax and sleep, to ease respiratory complaints, purify the air or bring a new energy into a room, fragrances have their roots in ancient lore – and this knowledge regularly comes to the fore in a market that is constantly changing.

“In perfumery, the so-called olfactory notes,” explains Carpentieri Profumi, a craft firm founded in 1967 in the heart of the Aspromonte National Park down in the toe of Italy (Calabria), a land of Mediterranean fragrances like Bergamot, Jasmine, Broom and Citrus, “serve to describe the scents perceived immediately after a perfume first touches your skin. They are divided into three categories: the top notes (or head notes), the heart notes (or middle notes) and the base notes. Each grouping of olfactory notes is represented by the smells sensed a certain amount of time after a perfume has been applied. The combination of the three groups make up what is known as the olfactory pyramid, which is used to establish how a perfume is described.”

Tuscany is another region of Italy steeped in history and tradition, something Chiara Firenze draws on as it comes up with its modern interpretations of the ancient art of processing essences in the city of Florence. This unique firm is a place of great craftsmanship, where everything is done by hand. For the packaging it uses glass bottles with stylish labels, closed with wooden stoppers and sealed with copper wire.

Wally, a brand founded in 1925 as Industria Chimica Pratese Colori e Affini (now L.C.P.L.A. srl), is also firmly rooted in Tuscan history and tradition. It uses the latest cosmetic knowledge, to reformulate craft products from long ago. And the essences used in its perfumes are designed to arouse olfactory sensations typical of the Tuscany region. The Wally Catalogue also offers air scenting devices, household linen sachets, lavender-scented paper, perfumes, colognes and scented talcs in their original 1920s packaging, as well as soaps, shower gels, bath salts, shampoos, hair conditioners and creams.

Tradition and innovation go hand in hand: from France comes a micro-porous ceramic invented by Esteban, which in its 35 years of experience has popularised the use of Japanese incense and also contributed to the popularity of scented candles made of 100% vegetable wax. “Perfume is a universal language through which emotions are shared, encouraging the art of living together,” they say at Esteban, a company that combines the French vocation for savoir faire with industrial procedures. Over 90% of its production is in France.

Innovation is also a central aspect of the production of Gruppo Motta, which under its Muhà trademark operates in one of Italy’s premium manufacturing fields, supplying to consumers at home and abroad: a range of reed diffusers that combines Made in Italy fragrance quality, with air fragrancing dispenser design. And Muhà also uses colour to give its products additional character.