Zagara

A luminous ode to Mediterranean gardens. Zagara is perhaps the most iconic creation of Ortigia Sicily. Signed by the famous nose Lorenzo Villoresi, this fragrance manages to capture the very essence of Sicilian spring, when the air becomes dense and inebriating due to the flowering of the citrus groves. Don't expect the classic light and volatile "citrus" scent. Thanks to Villoresi's masterful touch, Zagara is a Citrus Aromatic composition that plays on fascinating contrasts: The opening: A vivid explosion of orange blossom and neroli. It is a clean, almost celestial perfume, reminiscent of the smell of clothes hanging in the sun among the bitter orange trees. The heart: Here the complexity emerges. Notes of petitgrain and a woody base provide structure, preventing the sweetness of the flower from becoming cloying. It is a unisex fragrance in the purest sense of the term. On male skin the aromatic and "green" side stands out; on the female one it releases a soft and romantic radiance. Zagara doesn't try to be modern at all costs; try to be authentic. It is a perfume that smells of history, of baroque courtyards and lush nature. If you are looking for a fragrance that smells of cleanliness, light and the wild Mediterranean, Zagara di Ortigia is an essential piece. It's a perfume that doesn't just make you smell good, but instantly transports you to a Sicilian cliff while the wind carries with it the smell of bloom.

There seem to be two entries for this fragrance on this site: it is also listed under ‘Orange Blossom’. This is a gorgeous tribute to the bitter orange tree in a soapy Italian summer style. Sometimes this type of scent starts sweet citrus/floral and then fades to bitter woods, but Zagara seems to do the reverse. It begins with a big heady swirling petitgrain, but within 1 hour the main note becomes a sweet soapy orange blossom. It’s simple but decadent and will probably be a love or hate depending on how people feel about that note. Though it is classed as an EdP, it performs like a cologne, which is unsurprising given its character. It stays close to the skin and lasts about 5-6 hours if generously sprayed. Its modesty in projection makes it perfect for summer p office wear though it also screams Mediterranean holiday. Terrific value for money given the evident quality with a neat 30ml bottle available. Lorenzo Villoresi is behind the fragrance and the closest of his own brand to this one is ‘Dilmun’, though that has more going on and ‘Zagara’ does not have any hint of jasmine or vanilla, which is ok with me.

I was just gifted this beauty from a dear friend of mine. I smiled as soon as I started to smell it, I honestly can’t get enough. This smells luxurious, exotic and classy. The herby, citrus blast in the opening settles into something woody but there’s an undertone of something else. It has olfactory traits of something similar to Molecule 01 or Another 13.

The classic clean soapy Mediterranean orange blossom fragrance of my dreams!!!! I am in love love love. A friend has this and when he sprayed it and I caught whiff of it I immediately purchased a bottle for myself.

This smells so much like a rich luxurious version of nag champa/patchouli incense by satya, citrus & woody, lovely spicy

I didn't know Lorenzo Villoresi was the nose behind the Ortigia line. Small wonder they smell so lovely.

This is like one of the top 5 worst perfumes I have ever smelled. In Turkey, old people use lemon cologne as after shave. This perfume smells like an old dude wearing that, whom sweat a lot and has never heard of a deodorant. My mom is about to run out of this monstrosity, I hope it is discontinued by the time she gets a chance to visit Italy again