Mr Essenza is the flesh and blood equivalent of Colonia Essenza: a fantastic citrus aromatic for the 21st century that updates Acqua Di Parma’s original Colonia beautifully. The perfect balance of new and old.
From the glorious medieval piazzas of Parma comes a gentleman of exquisite taste and refinement. An elegant and genteel man, lover of fine wine, fine art and fine dining. Luca Essenza is all of that and more, and hails from a wealthy Italian family, known for its success in the cosmetics business.
He lives in a handsome stuccoed penthouse apartment in central Parma, which he shares with his wife Allegra: an interior designer and space planner.
Today is a typical day in the Essenza household. It’s a Saturday morning and autumn has just arrived, signalling the start of Parma’s harvest season. Luca is having breakfast on the balcony - a light fruit salad of grapefruit and orange - and will shortly be heading in to town for a spot of food shopping.
The views from his balcony are remarkable and afford him sight of some Parma’s best attractions like the Teatro Regio and Governor’s Palace. Looking up from his breakfast, Luca catches whiff of something floral. A sweet, sensual aroma that he can only assume to be jasmine.
“Daydreaming again are we?” Says Allegra, coming out onto the balcony. “Only about you, my sweet” responds Luca, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Ready to hit to the market?” he asks. “Almost” she replies, coffee cup in hand.
Luca and Allegra do their food shopping at a local farmer’s market called Piazza Ghiaia, which they visit most Saturdays as a couple. Today they’ve come search of three items: sage, rosemary and cloves. The herbs will form the basis for Luca’s signature dish - homemade Tortellini - which he’ll be making later that evening, and the cloves will be used for autumnal panna cotta.
As they walk around the market, Luca and Allegra are hit with all manner of aromas from the various stalls: a smell of rose here, a waft an amber there, patchouli incense sticks burning brightly from a thurible. Even vetiver makes its presence felt. Together they combine in a sort of herbal green spiciness that’s distinctly Italian smelling.
Later that afternoon, they pay a visit to the one of Parma’s best loved community gardens: the Statua Parco Ducale. A hotbed of green splendour, teaming with chestnut trees, lakes and historic statues. It was in this park that Luca and Allegra first met in 1998. She was studying at time and he had not long started his first job at a publishing company.
Luca’s classic sense of style and swagger were an instant turn-on for Allegra and reminded her of her father, himself a distinguished chap with a stoic sense of masculinity. They talked for hours on end, and, following exchange of numbers, vowed to meet again. The rest history.
Now, whenever they return to the park, they are brought back to that happy moment, the memory of it potent as ever. In many respects, Parco Ducale is an extension of Luca’s own spirit: a charming and verdant space that’s thought provoking and quintessentially Italian. A memory of what and still is. Parma in essence.
What stories does Colonia Essenza conjure time mind for you? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.
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