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kinoman2011 – :
During the 18th century the perfumer Giovanni Maria Farina (1685-1766) moved to Cologne, starting from Santa Maria Maggiore (Piedmont), to create an inimitable fragrance: the Original Eau de Cologne. The enveloping perfume still today bears the name of the adopted homeland of the Italian nose: Acqua di Colonia. During his journey to the north of the Farina Alps he brought with him the art of destillation by means of pure alcohol extracted from wine. Thanks to these premises Farina had laid the optimal foundations for the production of qualitatively superior scented water. In doing so, Farina deserved the name of “Father of modern perfumery”. In a letter to his brother Giovanni Battista, Farina describes his new perfume with the following words: “My scent is like an Italian morning in the spring after the rain: it recalls oranges, lemons, grapefruits, bergamots, cedars, the flowers and aromatic herbs of my land. It refreshes me and stimulates senses and fantasy. »
Apart from that it is the first colony invented and distributed on the market.
Apart from that it is a perfume with over 300 years of history.
Apart from that also Mozart and Napoleon (who used one a day) used this cologne.
Apart from all this, it is a sublime, citrus and natural fragrance. A very thick colony that stands out for its true nature. The peculiarity is that this perfume has never ceased to be what it is since its inception and I mean that there are no reformulations or similar things. Do you want to take a dip in the early 18th century? Wear it. In this case I’m angry with Fragrantica: Why do not you say that the creator is GIOVANNI (not johann) Maria Farina? He moved to Germany where he invented this wonderful natural masterpiece but it was and will always be Italian. I am proud to say that the first colony in the world was invented by an Italian.
anytka – :
Very good perfume for the summer. Pour on your body until you feel intoxicated
ssua2008 – :
Bought this at the perfume museum in Cologne, and instantly fell in love with the scent. Its notes aren’t that complicated, as stated in their online shop, but I love it! Like others had said, the formula has not changed for over 300 years, and is still managed by the same family.
The drawback is that this perfume is an eau de cologne, and will disappear a couple/a few hours after application. You can still smell them on your neck after long hours, but people around you is unlikely to smell anything.
They are also quite pricey; their pricing is a lot like high-end brand perfumes (40 euros for 50mL). I, however, believe it is worth the price, not for its scent longevity only, but because of its uniqueness. It has a long history to it, and remains classic throughout the years.
Aside from being pricey, they are quite hard to buy physically, since they don’t stock it to other countries like its sister EDC (4711) does– you can only buy them in Cologne, but you can always buy them online as long as you don’t mind paying the shipping fees.
Mezvj352elipseskism – :
1709 is surprisingly modern, given that it’s over 300 years old. I find it much more substantial than 4711. In fact, those two have very little in common apart from being labelled “eau de cologne”.
So apparently this is the one that started them all. The original ancestor of all the citrus water EDC’s from the 18th Century up to the present day. Now that I am wearing this, I find it very appealing in the sense that it has a lot of “bite” to it. I detect lemon, bergamot, lime and yuzu, along with grapefruit, orange and a lot of green notes, which almost give the hint of freshly cut grass even. It’s a great experience.
With this, the projection and longevity is good and it lasts better than other EDC’s I find. I have no problem recommending this one if you like a green-citrus combo with a floral background. It’s very refreshing and elegant. Would be great either worn formally or informally. I do like it a lot and will continue to test it throughout the warmer seasons, where it shines in my opinion.
ares – :
Got a 5ml beautiful looking oval miniature bottle in Koln back in 2014 Feb. Didnt buy it form the Museum, but from a souvenir shop outside the Koln Cathedral. In terms of smell , this is very comforting and soothing. Not powerful enough to project, as it fades away soon and turns to be a skin scent. I rarely wear this, but when i do i like it and enjoy the fragrance.Happy to own an ancient perfume with such good history
aleksanl7 – :
This is my very first review on Fragantica. I’m not as well versed as most of you on here…but here goes. I bought this because I have sort of become a fragrance nerd, thanks to you guys. The oldest fragrance still available…this is beyond fruity. I thought I wouldn’t like it at first whiff. Almost thought twice of spraying again. Then…I smelled it on my skin….how clean! Reminds me of a pleasant lemon verbena along with other citrus fruits. I’m a fan of sweeter smells…but I don’t necessarily hate it. on my skin..it’s beautiful.
MariahJesu – :
Fragrance Review For 1709 Original Eau De Cologne
Farina
Notes
Orange
Grapefruit
Lemon
Bergamot
Citron
Lime
Floral Notes
Herbal Notes
Eat your heart out Tom Ford Neroli Portofino!
I don’t understand why, as nice as that aforementioned fragrance is, people can’t spot how it’s modeled after those old classic citrus based colognes from the Renaissance period; i.e. Acqua di Colonia by Santa Maria Novella, 4711 Eau de Cologne by Maurer & Wirtz & Florida Water by Murray & Lanman.
Before any of those colognes ever came into existence, there was this fragrance which dates back to 1709. The only thing older than this would be the first alcohol based scent HUNGARY WATER. This perfume came at a time when royalty of the 1700’s was in need of fresh citruses as both a medicinal tonic to invigorate them for their day or as a sweet fruit scent to mask their unpleasant body odor. And that must have been some hellish BO because those people did not bother to bathe or clean their bodies but only a few times each year. This was a fragrance to splash on if you were a VIP in the courts of Europe as you started your day and went on to get some work done in offices and palaces.
The new formula now selling online and which can be ordered and delivered is by far the most citrusy of any citrus fragrance I’ve ever encountered. I love the packaging & bottle.
At the first whiff all I get is fresh and bright lemon & orange, but in the background one can detect citron, lime and grapefruit. The grapefruit is pretty full bodied and can remind you of fresh hand soap of a citrus scent. This is not too soapy but it does have some of that going on because it includes some green and floral notes that are evocative of soap. But it’s good soap.
The greenery & nondescript florals evoke an Italian garden in the noonday sun, fresh and fragrant, and the citruses seem to cry out: good morning. This is a bright crisp happy solar citrus scent. I keep having visions of glaring sunlight in an Italian villa’s garden.
The citrus is absolutely beautiful.
A little goes a long way so wear this as a skin scent and apply with a light touch and youre set for the day. This cologne is unisex and not heavily concentrated as a perfume (parfum) so it’s rather casual and easy to wear. Guys or girls you can wear this and enjoy it out at the beach in the summer time. This is a fresh summer scent based on true citrus orange juice and a refreshing alternative to the aquatic messes out there for men and women. Not too floral, floral enough, green enough and citrusy enough.
The past comes alive again in this cologne.
mozg147 – :
Timeless. The scent is unisex and subtle, which is very comfortable to wear. It reminds me of my European summer trip. It is none of that imposing and overbearingly ‘loud’ scents you catch from busy streets. Nothing too ‘perfumey’ like the cosmetics counters of department stores. Only up close will people detect whiffs of it from you, but once they do they instantly compliment the smell.
It is definitely a citrus scent, but completely different from those of men’s aftershave. This is a very refined, classic fragrance. Picture this as a sunny, breezy afternoon in a botanical garden.
You would think, from how classic the scent is, that it will not sit well with younger people. But I would say it complements any age, as it is a well-mannered and composed image it evokes, instead of being limited to representing a certain age group.
I wish it were slightly stronger!
Financy PooBear K – :
For a simple cologne this is made really well. The citrus really lasts a long time which isn’t something you see all that often.
The scent is very strong in citron to me. It gives the scent an almost unnatural smell a tad bit like cleaner, but it doesn’t cross over too heavily to cause me to dislike it. I like the addition of green notes, I think I would have preferred them to a be a bit sharper or more prominent. I’m not sure what the floral notes are in here, they are hard to pick out.
As someone else said this is a nice, refreshing, citrus floral.
I am impressed the scent has stuck around 300 years, but for me it doesn’t wow. It “okays” in a quiet corner on my shelf.
ARO077 – :
Just got this, it reminds me of an orange marmalade scratch and sniff sticker I had when I was younger. Of course it is much more complex and earthy. A great classic citrus fresh scent that almost feels forgotten in time. It is masculine and versatile, and would make a great signature scent
TaifyTOTraf – :
This is the original Eau de Cologne. Timeless, grown up, classy, never boring – unless you find soapy citruses too much on th beaten path. On a par with Aqua di Parma and definitely on a completely different planet than the rather vile and screechy 4711 that gives me a migraine.
Insoncovono – :
This original cologne are better than roger and gallet and 4711 colognes! much better! unchanged formula and in good price! this scent and acqua di parma are my top scents in my collection.
panichkin – :
This is a really “fresh-up”-cologne. It has an incridible list of very famous customers as it is the oldest Parfum still available in the world, ranging from french and german kings and queens to princess Diana and president Bill Clinton.I also like it a lot. Is has a very nice fresh fragrance, but as it is a cologne, you really have to splash it on to have some longivity.
Caxapok_d – :
my uncle bought me the mini size of this cologne. Very nice and it makes me feel really comfortable
markunj01 – :
I wanted to sample the original Farina cologne and discovered in the process that there are two distinct varieties out there.
I’ve just side-by-side tested Roger & Gallet’s “Extra Vieille” and the 1709 Original by Farina, Köln (Farina1709.com) – and they are very different.
Simply put, R+G is 4711 with extra citrus and a pinch of Nag Champa (to my nose at least – could be the clove), whereas the Original (current formula) is much more floral and green. I’ve always liked 4711, so naturally I like R+G’s take on the classic eau de cologne, but the Original is much more elegant and subtle.
potap.an.al – :
Thank you, Fragrantica, for adding this perfume to your database. (my request)
It’s an honor to be a first one to review this historical and very special perfume.
I have always thought that 4711 was the real old original eau de cologne. How wrong i was.
Almost 100 years earlier, in 1709, the italian parfumer Farina came to Koln and created there his wonderful perfume, which reminded him of a beautiful Italian fresh morning..
It’s excactly how it smells.
I’ve been to the museum/shop of Farina Maison in Koln, Germany. It’s the oldest perfume museum in the world!! When you buy a perfume bottle you also get a pretty list of all rich and famous clients of this perfume. Well, 300 years of royal clients.. Napoleon Bonaparte used to pour a bottle a day (!!) over his body, even kept a bottle in his boot!!
Amazing!!
The formule is still unchanged and kept in secret through more than 300 years!!!
I hope they will add my name to that famous list of clients someday haha!!!!