Marescialla

“If you are great, El Topo is a great picture. If you are limited, El Topo is limited.” ― Alejandro Jodorowsky Let me start by saying that Marescialla by Santa Maria Novella is a Masterpiece, and it fits perfectly with the above quote by Alejandro Jodorowsky. El Topo is a cult film and Marescialla fits in a category of cult fragrances for fragrance connoisseurs. Marescialla is alchemy in a bottle. It won’t turn lead into gold, nor will it prolong your life. What Marescialla will do however is act as an inner transformation on your skin and believe me this is a fragrance journey unlike anything you have ever experienced before. The opening of Marescialla which by the way means the Marshall’s wife is one that will knock your olfactory senses in either a pleasant way (like me) or have you running to the nearest tap water you can find to scrub it off. This is where the above quote comes into action, if you are limited to Marescialla there is no chance in ever discovering the beauty of this masterpiece. Yes, I admit the opening smells like somebody poured an antiseptic solution on a mediaeval stone floor, an actual smell I personally love but others might find repulsive, but this is just for the first 5 minutes. You don’t run on a treadmill for 30 minutes and expect to lose one kilogram after you finish one session of running. Everything has its own sacrifice, even the development of fragrance on your skin has its patience to be highly rewarded. Be patient! After the floor detergent opening has vanished the magic starts to unfold on your skin. I must strongly warn you to go very, very easy on spraying this. Do not use more than one spray on each arm and I will explain why. I have never so far experienced a fragrance that moves backwards. Usually, you spray a fragrance and as time goes by it naturally becomes a skin scent. Marescialla works the opposite way! When I sprayed this for the first time, I went quite heavy, thinking I would get the most of it. And boy did I! It started heavy and I was very glad about the performance, then it mellowed to a skin scent after about 4 hours...but... it then suddenly became very, very creamy, and powdery becoming more powerful than when it started! Luckily, I was outdoors as I could honestly feel a slight shortness of breath indoors with it. I cannot handle powdery scents very well as they tend to choke me a bit. Although I personally wouldn’t categorize Marescialla as a powdery fragrance it does elevate its powder power towards its final stages. So, if that bothers you use the fragrance very sparingly. If you have made it this far in my review I thank you as I needed to explain a bit in detail. You might be asking yourself but what does Marescialla smell like? Marescialla smells very manly. It’s labelled as a unisex fragrance and has a name that is feminine. But as I have always said fragrance is liquid and has no gender so wear what makes you feel comfortable. Shalimar on my skin smells like smoked burnt tyres sprinkled with vanilla. Go figure! As time passes by Marescialla becomes like a fougere and boy is it incredible! Fans of Manuel Cross will dig this in spades as it is on the same wavelength as Mousse Illuminee and Bon Monsieur. However, Marescialla becomes more and more crowd pleasing and although it’s staying power on skin is 24 hours it never cloys nor does it intrude other people’s space. The opening notes of watercress and citrus play an important factor towards the development of the fragrance. Its dominating spicy opening that will make some people sneeze will linger softly towards the dry down as it reaches the oakmoss and sandalwood notes. I personally have not yet got the rose note which is a middle note, perhaps the patchouli and Virginia cedar is overriding it. Towards its final stages I get a very posh creamy drydown that is incredibly elegant making it feel unique and special that puts me in a very nostalgic mood. ( on a side note, Santa Maria Novella please re-release Nostalgia, there is a market for it! ) Marescialla is not an easy fragrance to describe as it’s an experience but once you do test and try it out and fall in love with it you will be reaching out for it multiple times. It’s a fragrance that can be worn any season and any time. I think that this fragrance is one of the most special fragrances from Santa Maria Novella. It's quietly hidden away among the more commercial ones, and it takes a bit of bravery to take the plunge and discover it. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd, don’t be limited and be patient and let Marescialla work its magic on your skin and personality. There is nothing like Marescialla, it's a potent fragrance without being overpowering, creating a magical aura around you all day. A 195-year-old beautiful classic Masterpiece from the year 1828 that will haunt your imagination and soul. Once it is properly experienced, it will never be forgotten. Eloquent, enigmatic, mysterious and addictive. Marescialla is hands down my best discovery of 2023.

I came across this fragrance by chance, because I smelled a beautiful mossy scent on a couple of people in Japan. I wasn't sure if this earthy mossy scent came from perfume or from temples where incense sticks are burned and people take a whiff of this scent with them. From this point of view, I interpreted this scent as that of unlit incense sticks containing oud/jinko. (And i think it’s interesting point, at first reviewed perfume not from selfperspective but smelling it on others) If I smelled it at first in a different context and knew that the smell came from the SNM, I would certainly move within the interpretive framework of a medieval monastery. However, I do not smell the historical smell of the building, such as can be found in Ambra Aurea by Profumum roma, nor can I smell the earthy "moldy" smell that can be found in Tundra by Profumum roma despite the comparsion in section reminds me of. Medieval hospital with smell of gaze come to my mind or herbal ancient cola soda, but its so soft and well blended that is not exactly smells like this or that. I can smell the earthiness of unlit incense sticks, as if I were smelling Jinkoh from Nippon Kodo with a mossy earthiness, “soapy” cleanness, vintage ”powderness” with limoncello citruses and slightly bitter cloves. I agree with another user's opinion that the scent has an antiseptic quality, I know one disinfectant that smells almost like moss, despite this comparison it doesn't smell chemical at all, it's a nice earthy natural herbal scent. I also agree with another user that the powdery part of this fragrance increases over time (sometimes), I think that this powdery hint is created by the moss itself. Despite the fact that it can be called challenging, it doesn't affect me that much, because it's exactly the type of scent I like. The advantage is that it does not have a very strong projection and does not act unobtrusively. When you smell it on a person, you can't be sure whether it's perfume, fabric softener, body cream or soap. I need this one in pure perfume oil concentration! Even the low concentration its longlasting, im not smelling it after 6 hours, but some people tell me they can smell it even after 10 hours. The projection is not so strong, but its going to long distance in very inconspicuous way, people always noticing me, i have lot of stronger fragrances, but this type of “noticing” is happening to me only with Marescialla, ifs that happening due to projection or because of the unconventional and atypical nature of this fragrance is not clear to me. The quality in this price range category is absolutely stunning! Love it! Final update after half of bottle: If it will be less powdery/dry, little bit more wet and earthy it will be my lifetime favorite scent. I like to combine it with tobacco toscano body creme and patchouli perfume and aftershave together, the combination is soapy velvety, it will make it less powdery and more earthy, really classy elegant vintage scent. It reminds good old times when the perfumes were not about synthetics, but about diy tinctures from old dusty books.

Opens camphorous and medicinal -- the first moments are unique, strong & I would imagine harsh to some noses. Next comes an herbal, somewhat bitter note that is soon joined by patchouli (the herbal, rough kind, not the rich, chocolaty type so popular these days). As some of the sting of the opening and middle fade, a delightful woody rose and moss accord emerges. These base notes are rich and creamy and they weave in and among the astringent herbs of the earlier parts of the fragrance, which never completely disappear, to create something magical. The long-lasting final phase of this utterly unique gem smells simultaneously ancient, perhaps a perception influenced by the mythology of the house, and also completely contemporary. I love this mysteriously appealing bled of mostly unappealing scents. Making something beautiful from so many 'challenging' components strikes me as real artistry. If not obvious from the foregoing comments, this fragrance is emphatically NOT for everyone. Try first if you can. For lovers of unusual sharp fragrances with exceptional blending like Roberto Greco's tragically underappreciated Œillers L'Objet Parfumant, or more well known fragrances like Gucci Guilty Absolute, Oriza L. Legrande's Chypre Mousse or even, in a way, Clinique's Aromatics Elixr or Boss Bottled Oud Aromatic -- that is, fragrances that are admittedly outside of the mainstream or even the stream next to the mainstream -- scents that work because of their challenging, odd elements, not in spite of them -- Marescialla is something you need to experience (even at the risk, dare I suggest it, of a blind buy). Recommended for lovers of the artistic, timeless and off-beat.

@Makeupmaven: I will attempt to answer your question below, as to how those of us who have experienced the fragrance, could describe it as smelling like a time in history without having lived through it. Marescialla is one of those incredibly evocative scents that DEFIES description by notes. So here goes. The best way to conjure the scent for you is to refer to it as a medieval floorwash. How do women clean their houses in ancient times? They would probably mix a bunch of wild herbs in a bucket of water for their cleansing properties. I too, have done it. Armed with my “Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs”, I attempted to recreate a medieval concoction of herbs to wash/cleanse my house with. Throwing in a bunch of sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lemon rind, essential oils of patchouli, etc etc. A hotchpotch cauldron of natural energies macerating together. Imagine what a medieval housewife would do to protect her family from fiendish natural spirits always lurking outside the threshold of the home after dark? She would hang sprigs of juniper, yarrow, gorse, twigs of oak and birch, around the homestead. The idea is, Marescialla does not smell like a perfume at all. It smells like a force of nature. It smells like what we imagine a medieval homestead would smell like. Herbaceous, earthy, rooty, full of medicinal and sharp bitter greens, not necessarily pleasant but exceedingly benign and protective. Like white pagan magic. Unfortunately, this is one you have to actually smell to understand.

I went into the SMN shop and the shopkeeper gave me this to try on my wrist - perhaps my 3kg New Rock boots made the impression I liked strange fragrances! Well, he was right. Needless to say, after already buying Mughetto on Thursday, I bought Marescialla on the Sunday - this stuff is divine and rich... wish I could say the same about my wallet, but I have zero regrets! Reminds me of my grandma's medicinal cupboard full of Chinese medicine and herbal ointments/tinctures she would rub on my skin. Then it dries down into something heartwarmingly nostalgic and clean. A chaotic comparison, but if you've ever smelt Liz Earle's discontinued "Spot On" roller ball for bites and blemishes... it lowkey smells like that for the first 10 minutes. Surprisingly, an easy-to-wear fragrance that lasted for a good few hours, and I only had one spritz! P.s: I had the opportunity to buy their "old frosted bottle" version of this, and I can see that the fluid was a bit darker than the stuff in their clear/new bottles with the sticker label - can anyone confirm if this one has been reformulated? I went for the new bottle because that was what I tried on and loved, but curious to see if the scent had changed. The shopkeeper said it hasn't been reformulated, but I swear they're trained to say that.

Words fail me when I try to write a review of Marescialla. I could describe its camphorous opening; its fiery yet crumbly mace note; its smooth, cold sandalwood-rose accord; the dense and dewy mosses that rise up to meet the aromatic top; the shape shifting patchouli, sometimes hissing, sometimes languid, sometimes barely there. I could discuss the relation of Marescialla to the chypre genre (which it ostensibly predates by nearly a century), its masculine ease, its perfectly breezy concentration. I could contend that it is the purest expression of the SMN ethos. I could even speculate on why we all feel compelled to think of mop water when smelling Marescialla, and insist that it’s part of this perfume’s charm. But all of this feels beside the point when dealing with a perfume that is so beautifully conceived and perfectly formulated, that is such a joy to wear. I have never been a signature scent girlie, but I fear I may be now.

The other reviews are spot on: This is a most unusual, old-worldly, spooky fragrance, indeed. It smells old, woody, with some mold/rot. It is extraordinarily natural, yet eerie. I'd say it's a unisex scent. There is this deep sort of shaving cream scent mixed in there with mildewy wood, spices and history. In the dry down it becomes is very smooth and amazing, the longer it lingers the more I adore it. I become more fond of Marescialla every time I wear it. My moms opinion was that it smells musty, and like something from Williamsburg, Massachusetts. lolz. This scent is extremely long lasting. A single spray lasts a really long time and still has at least a moderate silage a week later. Preppy, teenage girls who tend to like fougere, gourmand, cheap sort of scents would probably hate this . . intensely. But if you have open taste to whacky/weird fragrances, you'll like this. 9.5/10

The review below by alphairone (beautifully written as ever) captures well the enchanting, but elusive nature of this fragrance. The alchemists of yore believed that the liquid obtained from distillation was a concentration of the essential elements of any substance and they saw this as analogous to the challenge of separating out the pure soul from baser matter. Marescialla begins like a dose of herbal medicine then mellows into a soothing balm: the most wonderful mix of pachouli, rose and ?? What is that magic ingredient that keeps me coming back to this fragrance? Is it an actual substance or is it just the accumulated positive associations I have with this fragrance? It's like the missing link in a medieval mystery - arcane and alchemical, - hidden away in the furthest reaches of the apothecary's shop, which is endlessly alluring but escapes ultimate resolution.

I love this fragrance! I currently own Marescealla, Opoponax, and Pot Pourri from Santa Maria Novella and Maresscealla is my favorite of the line that I've tried so far with Opoponax coming in a close second. I have also tried Patchouli as well and love it a lot too. I was expecting to like Pot Pourri the best, but it has a medicine cabinet, medicinal vibe that isn't to my liking as much as the spicy joy I get from Marescealla. This is my favorite spiced perfume that I currently own. I could wear it three times a week, I enjoy it that much. This like all Santa Maria Novella fragrances transport you back to the early 1900's, or at least they do me. A house that I've really grown to appreciate a lot. An incredible fragrance journey is in this bottle. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to go back in time for a while...

La Marescialla is an extraordinary scent. There's nothing else quite like it. A medicinal brew, spicy and warm and a little boozy, I love fillifelle's description of it below as medieval floorwash. It has so much going on, I made some random notes: Campari spritz, chinotto, boot polish, housepaint, church pews, leather belt, old-fashioned antiseptic ointment, intense herbal liqueur ( Jagermeister or Unicum ), spiced dry fruits. It needs time to settle before its spicy, woody muskiness establishes itself. There's lashings of camphoraceous patchouli (which explains the booziness) and warm opoponax (not listed, might be imagining it) and spices — pepper and mace. There may be orange bitters in here and even some honey. It isn't the most versatile scent in the world, and a blind buy would be risky, but it is totally unique.

Marescialla Santa Maria Novella (Gold print bottle) I have no idea what I have sniffed but my body stay true that I really enjoy this scent. I take a Quick Look at definition it is "an authoritarian or domineering woman". I don't really understand this sentence. Marescialla smell like cooling agent with soft moss and woody note. The woody note is gentrify the fragrance. Soft & Elegant. The opening of Marescialla is really impactful in opening stage. Marescialla is warm and charming scent. And.. yeah, the way scent develop - really reminds me of Felinity movement. I love it. ===== (December 3, 2024) I retest this along with Ottone and Ambra. Damn, I really really want a bottle of this Such a calming spicy scent. So so, good. ===== Edit March 14, 2025 I got one. Yeah!

Most intriguing, uncommon, old-worldy, ambiental, introspective fragrance. Smell of abandoned mansion in the outskirts; green moldy wallpapers reminding of long lost luxurious leisure, dusty antique furniture, huge windows with torn curtains opened to the surrounding trees and forest breeze, dry leaves and tall grass, a large pot in the kitchen, steel rusty wire bed, remains of someone's muddy footprints on the parquetry... It's all here - old, deserted, almost dead... and strangely beautiful. Herbal liqueur opening announces further notes interwining, developing: dust, mold, distant breeze of citrus, soil, dry herbs. Drydown: serene freshness of clean bed linen. Colour scale: grey, moldy green, dark brown, golden and lemon yellow, to the purest white. Bewitching.

Glory be! This gem opens up with a very assertive Middle Eastern vibe, almost oudhish. This is a woody spicy stage. The dry down becomes sweet-woody-softer spice with that shift shaper quality someone mentioned. It morphs from soft, dry floral to almost animalic to woods and everything in between. It's magical. Note: This fragrance contains oakmoss which is being restricted in Europe effective spring 2015. This is making everyone across the pond nuts. What this means for Marescialla is a (no!!!) reformulation. Oakmoss is one of elusive notes coveted in the older, richer fragrances. Who knows if they'll be able to find a true substitute. In short, if you can find Marescialla, buy it now, before reformulation purgatory or extinction.

This is a difficult, sophisticated perfume (even though it's officially an edt) of outstanding quality. It starts with outlandishly realistic concoction of dried Mediterranean herbs that evoke the image of deserted catacombs, caves, cellars and museum kitchens. Enchanting and twisted. Then it slowly moves on to a more palatable mixture of rottening or dried tangerines and ripe oranges. After a few hours it becomes a completely elegant day-to-day frag perfectly suitable for an Italian solicitor getting out of her/his medieaval house to go to work in an oak-panelled office in a different Reneissance building. Sillage is great and so is longevity. Great quality, incredible, high-brow fragrance. Totally thumbs up!

Santa Maria Novella Marescialla. Un incroyable parfum tout droit sorti du XIXe siècle, Une ouverture stupéfiante, une eau d’apothicaire, herbeuse, quelque chose que l’on pourrait sentir dans de vieilles demeures de maître, avec parquets, lambris et la poussière dansant dans la lumière des grandes baies qui donnent sur le parc... Puis tout cela s’adoucit, se sucre aussi, et se mue en l’odeur un peu crémeuse des produits de rasage d’un barbier des beaux quartiers. Chef d’oeuvre dans cette jungle contemporaine de clones, de sucrailles de boites de nuit, sans souffle, sans histoire. Faites une pause, respirez, méditez dans la lente coulée du temps. Rare. Magnifique. 10 / 10

Not sure I can add anything here that hasn't already been said...the comment on "medieval floorwash" is pure genius and hits the nail on the head...I blind bought this based on the reviews here and could not be any happier...also Santa Maria Novella now has a direct website you can order from in the U.S. This eliminates the silly having to call in nonsense the few retailers who carry this line here have you do (I'm sure at SMN's request, but so glad their direct website is NOT doing this)...this perfume is witchy, herbal, and a bit dusty - I wish everything old in the world could smell like this...

If Vicks VapoRub had a perfume it would smell like this. Love it! Meditative and comforting. I’d wear this to yoga and use it as a pillow spray before bedtime. Marescialla opens with a minty, camphorous pungent note with dustings of aromatic floras. If you like camphor in your juice, give SMN’s Potpourri a try too - a beautiful bay leaf and citrus opening laid over a smoky base. Heeley’s Esprit du Tigre is another spicy camphorous composition to sniff out if you’d like more cloves and woody notes.

I recently managed to get hold of a vintage bottle of this one. As some of the reviews states it, this is totally unique. The ancient formula transports my senses to medieval Florence. There is almost no resemblance between SMN formulas post 2021 and the vintage formulas. Fragentica should really separate the fragrances, since the current ingredients are not at all the same as the old ones. This vintage one -pure magic in a bottle.

The opening is quite a ride, like driving a Ferrari with your foot all the way to the floor. The ride then goes more smooth and wearable like a lovely drive through the meadow on a damp day. It is for sure unique and requires multiple tests to truly appreciate it. Santa Maria Novella is such an under appreciated brand. If you buy most of your fragrances from Macy's, this will not be for you.

Marescialla is a true classic! It's woody and earthy, but with a touch of spice that keeps it interesting. I love the combination of cedar and rose in the heart - it's so elegant. The longevity is amazing too - I can still smell it on my skin hours later.