The rose of Taif
Event
Edition 20
16.09.2022
Place of the event
STAZIONE LEOPOLDA, AREA TALK
Date of the event
16.09.2022 15:00
On Friday, 16 September, world-renowned nose Laura Bosetti Tonatto hosted a presentation focused on the Rose of Taif with Beatrice Barni, producer and researcher for Rose Barni. 

This event was dedicated to Guy Robert, a great master of perfumery who argued that only two ingredients are necessary ro create a fragrance, one of them being the rose. It was he who conveyed to Laura Bosetti Tonatto his passion for this flower that exists in nature in many varieties. 

Tonatto described her creative process by comparing it to "composing music," highlighting how a perfume is born based on the sense of smell, which is "pure instinct." But the real star was the rose, as the conversation took us on a tour around the world featuring this precious flower: from the Centifolia of Grasse, also cultivated by Catherine de' Medici, to the Damask rose found in Morocco, Bulgaria, India and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's plateau is where the Taif rose was bred, with temperatures as high as 50° during the day and as low as -20° at night. This temperature range makes it unique and precious, with only 16 kilograms of essence extracted per year for 55 thousand euros a kilogram. 

Tonatto also discussed her rose-based fragrances for Queen Elizabeth (in a heartfelt and moving tribute), the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Vatican Museums, the Villa Medici Gardens, and the Belmond collection. Bosetti Tonatto's collection includes 55 fragrances for the body and home, all of which are available in her large Rome boutique on Via de' Coronari. Since its first edition, she has participated in Fragranze because of its "unique style, taste and attention to detail."