Pope Benedict XVI Commissions Holy Cologne, Blended By Silvana Casoli
Pope Benedict XVI has commissioned a custom cologne to be blended by Italian fragrance whiz Silvana Casoli, a perfume maker who created scents for Sting, Madonna and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Casoli has been sworn to secrecy with her client so far on most of the ingredients, but some details leaked out. The fragrance reportedly mixes a hint of lime tree, verbena and grass, according to the Guardian. She refused to release the full list of ingredients, but said it would reflect the Pope's love of nature.
Casoli came to the attention of the Vatican when she was commissioned to create fragrances for Catholic pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Her creations, Water of Hope and Water of Faith, were so well received by the pilgrims and local priests, they presented Pope Benedict with samples.
After being impressed by Casoli's perfumes and colognes, the pontiff immediately commissioned her to create a custom blend. Casoli said she nearly fainted when she received word that the Vatican had called upon her services, and was challenged to come up with a worthy product.
At times, she even wanted to abandon the project, but she received inspiration to keep working, reported ABC.
I realized that an essence like this had to have at its core something pure and clean, recalling the idea of peace, she told the network. I thought of the smells the pope would smell when praying at the Grotto of Lourdes and about his love for music, animals, green Bavarian forests.
Recently, Casoli created colognes for country singer Tim McGraw, pop star Justin Bieber, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and movie star Bruce Willis. All of those colognes are on sale, but anyone hoping to buy their own papal cologne will be out of luck.
I would not ever repeat the same perfume for another customer, Casoli said, according to the Guardian.
Still, she describes her current line of perfumes and colognes that are accessible to everyone as made with noble and rare essences which leave an unforgettable olfactory message for him and he.
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