Meet the artisans of Rome.

Laura Bosetti Tonatto, parfumier, Essenzialmente Laura.
Image: Nico Avelardi

Ancient traditions are alive and well in Rome — from a parfumier and a bookbinder to a leather worker and a mosaic artist, these six artisans will make you want to reach for your wallet.

“You’re completely tied to nature,” Laura Bosetti Tonatto is telling me. “You don’t like skyscrapers — you need space, you need greenery. I don’t want to know why, but right now, you really need this.”

Choosing a perfume with Laura isn’t your average shopping trip. Italy’s best-known ‘nose’ — parfumier to the likes of the Queen of England during her 30-year career, Laura is obsessed with fragrance. She can tell you about its history, its place in literature, its health and wellness benefits — and she can also tell you about yourself.

Insistent that a choice of scent is instinctive — a decision coming straight from the hypothalamus — Laura doesn’t like people buying one of her 46 perfumes straight off the shelf. Instead, she takes customers through the seven ‘olfactory families’ — from florals to leather — and sees which they respond to. If you’re interested, she’ll tell you what that says about you, which may be surprising.

By Julia Buckley.

Full story at Natgeotraveller