No matter where you look in Florence, the Renaissance still lives. It breathes in the arches of Piazza Signoria. It hums in the marketplace bustle of Ponte Vecchio. It stands in the shadows of Il Duomo’s heights and Santa Croce’s steeples.
It whispers in the luxury boutiques and artisanal shops of Via de’ Tornabuoni.
If the name Tornabuoni sounds familiar, you are likely a true Italophile. Lucrezia de’ Medici was the mother of Lorenzo Il Magnifico, Florence’s greatest patrician and patron of the Renaissance. But before Lucrezia became a Medici through her marriage to Piero the Gouty, she was a Tornabuoni, another powerful family at the top of 15th century Florentine politics.
To this day, Medici fingerprints paint the city. In centro storico, one can’t take more than a few steps without seeing the six balls of the Medici crest on some door or building. Streets named after Lorenzo Il Magnifico’s closest compatriots are still found on maps. To name a few, there is Via degli Strozzi (after the Strozzi family), Piazza Pitti (Luca Pitti, banker friend of Cosimo de’ Medici, Lorenzo's grandfather), and—you guessed it—Via de’ Tornabuoni (Lucrezia’s maiden name).
The street, christened after the Renaissance’s infamous Tornabuoni family, neighbors centro storico in Florence’s fashion district. Loro Piana, Fendi, and Versace glitter through storefront windows. These luxury titans nestle alongside tighter-knit leather workshops and Palazzo Spini-Ferroni, the site of Musée Salvatore Ferragamo.
On Via de’ Tornabuoni, artisanal heritage runs deeper than fashion.
It hosts the Larderel Palace, just a few steps from Chiesa dei Santi Michele and Gaetano. Within the palace is a family-run skin and wellness artisan that has been there since 1843.
Meet Officina de’ Tornabuoni (ODT).
While Florence has always been synonymous with art and leather making, another traditional specialty is its apothecaries. This is how Officina de’ Tornabuoni started in the 19th century, opening its doors as a palazzo pharmacy (once a nobleman’s residence). Here, the family-run herbalists drew on Florence’s rich expertise in botanical remedies, using Tuscany’s natural resources for organic skin care. The results? Decades of formulas that heal everything from physical maladies to sensitive skin and aging.
This dedication to hand-made, natural skin care earned ODT prestigious recognition from the City of Florence. Impresa Fiorentina di Eccellenza (Florentine Enterprise of Excellence) is an esteemed label in the Tuscan capital. It is awarded to artisans and businesses who demonstrate dedication to quality products, services, and client relationships.
ODT is also recognized by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte and the Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte (OMA). Both groups celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of true Italian craftsmanship.
Today, ODT continues its all-natural approach to beauty, health, and wellness. Clean beauty, sustainability, and customer-first customization blend each formula. All products are crafted at an on-site lab. Here, ODT partners exclusively with trusted suppliers to source raw materials and oversee every step of production. Once ingredients are sourced, they are carefully cultivated into ready-to-use blends. Traditional methods are embraced, such as steam distillation, cold pressing, and maceration. Afterward, each product is bottled by hand.
“Our formulas are crafted with meticulous care, blending historical knowledge with modern scientific innovation to create products that promote holistic well-being,” said Nicolò Magherini, owner and director of ODT.
Organic beauty is the foundation for effective skin care at ODT. Non-toxic mixtures define ODT’s supplements, perfumes, and home fragrances. Facial, body, and bath care products brim the skin care category. Natural resources target common issues such as cellulite, sore or restless legs, and dry skin on hands and feet. Eye cream, face serum, deodorant, hair care, and lip balm supercharge ODT's wellness routines.
At the perfumery, the traditional Florentine apothecary thrives. Unlike fast fragrance brands, water and oil bases replace alcohol and chemical solvents. With an aversion to harmful substances that both damage skin and pollute the environment, ODT reflects a commitment to clean beauty. Eco-friendly packaging completes the picture of sustainability, embracing a brand-wide philosophy of wellness that, Magherini explained, “are as kind to the environment as they are to the people who use them.”
Magherini added, “Unlike conventional perfumes designed for overpowering projection and long-lasting intensity, our creations prioritize a discreet, intimate experience.”
All fragrances harmonize the wearer’s natural aroma with subtle elevated ingredients. From woodsy perfumes like the fan-favorite Liberia, or the verdant, water-based Intenso Toscano, each fragrance fosters an aura of understated elegance dedicated to wellness.
“All artisans’ work is an intersection of skill and the unique, unbounded expression of creativity [...] This is what transforms creation into art,” said Magherini.
A ritual of wellness forms each product, the Florentine way. Crema La Magnifica, the revitalizing firming cream, restores firmness to the skin and heals fine lines, wrinkles, and the effects of sun exposure. Hydrating oils are extracted from vitamin-rich super ingredients such as avocado, sunflower seed, coconut, rosa mosqueta, and calendula, a Mediterranean bloom from the daisy family. Suitable for all skin types, La Magnifica is ideal for the face, neck, and décolletage.
It pairs seamlessly with the Calma Polish, a botanical body scrub dubbed “the Rolls Royce of buffing grains” by the “UK Telegraph.” With organic Demerara sugar crystals, this exfoliant preps the skin for post-shower moisturization. Key ingredients include hydrating exfoliants through nutrient-rich oat milk, jojoba oil, lemongrass essential oil, and laurel essential oil. Additional indulgent oils come from avocado, apricot, geranium, patchouli, blackcurrant, bisabolol, and borage. This rich formula targets sebum clogs in pores and scrubs away dead skin cells for a healed, shiny-new surface.
ODT is dedicated to authenticity, which stems from its roots in Florence’s centuries-old artisan history. Small-batch and hand-made, each product reflects ODT’s identity of tradition-meets innovation, providing on-trend, healing skin care for the modern consumer who seeks old-world exclusivity.
Shop Florence's all-natural, herbal remedies at odtskincare.com.
