This is the story about Bergamot and the perfume industry
My name is Roger, and I live on the eastern coast of Calabria, in a small place called Palizzi Marina.
I wrote this article about Bergamot in Norwegian in 2023, and now I have translated it into English so hopefully a wider audience of people can get to know this extraordinary citrus fruit.
If you would like updates when we publish new travel guides and local stories, you are welcome to follow along.
Register hereBergamot has played an important role in perfume history for centuries.
The Italian perfumer Gian Paolo Feminis is often linked to this story. After moving to Cologne in the late 1600s, he developed a fragrance known as aqua admirabilis, using bergamot oil extracted from the peel together with other essences.
This became the foundation of what later evolved into Eau de Cologne.
His method of extracting bergamot oil helped establish a perfume tradition that would spread across Europe and eventually the world.
Since then, bergamot has remained one of the essential ingredients in perfumery. Its fresh citrus aroma, combined with slight bitterness, gives perfumes brightness and depth.
It has contributed to some of the worldā€™s most famous fragrances, including Chanel No. 5.
Today, bergamot remains more than a historical curiosity. It is still a living part of Calabriaā€™s identity ā€” a fruit connected to local agriculture, perfume history, food traditions, and everyday life.
Bergamot is rare, complex, and deeply tied to this corner of southern Italy.
Read also:
Bergamot in Calabria ā€“ History, food and perfume (main article)