Nature gives us unforgettable perfumes, and the sense of smell is an exceptional instrument that lets us perceive and interpret the world. This sense can be sharpened, and is the only one that works based on memory: a smell can be recognized only if it has already been perceived. To give sight-impaired and blind people the opportunity to have olfactive experiences, the Garden of the Senses and the Fragrance Laboratory were inaugurated on May 15, 2025 during the concluding event of the Project Work “Urban Greenery and Garden of the Senses: from essences to perfumes,” conducted by Class IIC of Minghetti High School in collaboration with Umberto Mossetti, Curator of the Botanical and Herbarium of the University of Bologna, the Francesco Cavazza Institute for the Blind, Lia Lo Brutto, owner of Antica Profumeria Al Sacro Cuore, and Barbara Corazza, owner of Autentica di Felsina. The conference was held in the Great Hall, with official greetings by Elio De Leo, Chairman of the Cavazza Institute, Roberto Gallingani, Director of Minghetti High School, and Prof. Giampiero Bagni, Project Coordinator.
This was followed by speeches by Prof. Anna Laura Rabiti, Project Tutor; by students Sara Enriques and Margherita Rubini, with “The promotion of Urban Greenery at Minghetti High School and the Creation of the Garden of the Senses at the Cavazza Institute;” by students Emma Brini and Francesca Terzi, with “The History of Perfumes in Ancient Times” under the guidance of Prof. Rodolfo Vittori; by Barbara Corazza, with “When Bologna Scented the World: from Acqua di Felsina to Autentica di Felsina;” and by Lia Lo Brutto, with “The Old Al Sacro Cuore Perfumery: the first research perfumery in Italy.” The Garden of the Senses was created with high-quality furnishings in the Cavazza Institute’s inner courtyard, with the insertion of 50 plants (curry plant, lavender, rosemary, lavender cotton, and thyme): a multisensory outdoor space providing both olfactive and tactile experiences. The Fragrance Laboratory, using both essential oils and perfumes, was inaugurated at the same time.
Small glass vials containing a few drops of various essential oils (including sweet orange, bergamot, lemon, cloves, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, patchouli, and Swiss pine) were offered to all of the participants, along with perfumes provided by Lia Lo Brutto of Antica Profumeria Al Sacro Cuore and by Barbara Corazza of Autentica di Felsina.
The event had very large attendance! This absolutely innovative experience will be repeated to promote greater understanding of the sense of smell: an extraordinary instrument for knowledge and perception of the world.
Italiano
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