Villa Medicis Incense

Along the length of the artists’ workshops, with their large windows opening over the rooftops of Rome, run the majestic gardens of the Villa. A centre for encounters and for meditation, the residents delight in the subtle fragrances of lemon tree leaves, lavender and oregano flowers. The air thrills with the woody aroma of the tall cedars nearby, and the inexpressible fragrance of the ancient stones in the heat of the sun. Contains essences of Italian Lemon, Clove, Oregano, Myrtle, Clary Sage, Lavender, Wormwood, Rosemary, Cedar-wood, Vetiver and Patchouli. Perfume designed with Françoise Caron.

The best incense in the world is found on the island of Awaji, due to its favorable climate. For more than a thousand years it has been made here by the Koh-shis or Masters of Aromas, a tradition passed down from father to son. They alone perfectly master the four stages of production: the dosage of exclusively natural materials, precious woods, herbs, plants, vegetable resins, and perfume; the kneading of the dough, pressed and worked for a long time, then left to stand for two weeks to soak up the fragrance; the cutting of the dough, rolled into long, narrow ribbons, to the desired size; then drying in the west wind for three days before bundling the sticks.

Precautionary measures:

Light the end of the stick with a match, blow out the flame and leave to smoke. Plant the stick in an incense burner or a bowl of sand. Do not use in a flammable environment. Do not leave burning without supervision. Keep out of reach of children and animals.