Atlante degli Odori Ritrovati and Roberta Deiana courtesy Of Roberta Deiana

I recently had the pleasure (and honor) of meeting charming Roberta Deiana at Esxence Milano 2022 by virtue of introduction via ÇaFleureBon Editor Ermano Picco. Ermano (that clever fox!) knew full well what he was doing: Roberta, Ermano and I share so many passions – writing, cooking and fragrance amongst them. I was genuinely thrilled when she kindly offered me a copy of her latest book, Atlante degli Odori Ritrovati – a lyrical, thoroughly researched exploration which delves into the realm of scent memory and how it affects us. I took it upon myself to read and translate it in the process – no small undertaking for me, as my Italian is frightfully rusty. Written Italian felt vastly different from spoken Italian, the latter being very subtle and descriptive in tenses which one would likely not utilize in everyday speech. In the pursuit of full disclosure: translating all the inherent philosophical and intellectual subtleties of Italian literature has been far more challenging than either French or German – but it was infinitely worth the effort.

Ida, Roberta photo by Ida

 By way of introduction, Roberta Deiana is the author of several books – one, a catchy lighthearted novel (Sesso, Droghe e Macarons: Sex, Drugs and Macarons) – and several containing recipes. These revolve around cuisine: In the Kitchen with the Sorceress of Spices (In Cucina con la Maga delle Spezie); Piccolo Ricettario per Cuochi Perdigiorno (The Little Recipe Book for Lazy Cooks); another about employing essential oils in cooking, and one about the Italian passion for chocolate (there are several others). Roberta describes herself as a food stylist and blogger, but those appellations really don’t begin to describe her fully; in many ways she is equal parts historian, poet and astute observer.

 

 Collage by Michelyn of some odours: the smell of red wine (Roberta with a glass of wine), the odor of coffee, leather, and Money/ via Roberta’s Instagram

In Atlante degli Odori Ritrovati, Roberta scrutinizes and categorizes the plethora of quotidian smells which affect us, both comforting and disturbing. Among these are the odors of childhood (pencils, ink, suntan lotion, the circus, pastry and soil); travel (asphalt, gasoline, automobiles, rivers, the ocean); food and drink (bread, rice, tea, coffee, honey and chocolate); night (lipstick, champagne, whisky, gin and wine). She explores the way a city smells as opposed to a natural setting, sacred odors, old books vs. new, fire, cleanliness and the past. In so doing, Roberta doesn’t shy away from revealing the chemical specifics which distinguish a particular aroma in order to more fully comprehend a given subject. Historical constructs provide helpful context; her observations are both memorable and exquisitely described.

One such example would be Roberta’s salient input with regard to the smell of marijuana. She cites the god Shiva being referred to in Nepal as “The Lord of Cannabis”; marijuana’s Ayurvedic employment in the balancing of doshas (marijuana relieves Kapha, but aggravates Pitta); its relationship to the I Ching; les artistes maudits (Gustave Moreau, Flaubert, Théophile Gautier, and Baudelaire) and their Club des Hashischins – a group of well-known artists in the nineteenth century who experimented with drugs. Our author divulges the multiple constituents found in marijuana and explains how they create a specific scent profile and evoke clear olfactory perceptions. Following her exposition is a list of suggested fragrances which fall into this category, why we enjoy them, and what effect they have upon the wearer and those perceiving the scents. Roberta follows through in this vein with regard to each particular aroma – and the result is edifying, entertaining and most certainly not tedious. It’s the way the most effective teachers teach: we are lured into the subject matter while being both beguiled and enlightened – even if we didn’t intend to be at the outset.

 Collage by Michelyn of some odors the perfumers and fragrance aficionados gravitate towards, the sea, gasoline, earth, rain and old books in Atlante degli Odori Ritrovati via Roberta’s instagram

The final portion of the book involves a series of questions which she poses to various Italian professionals in the field via an interview format. These include our own Ermano Picco, Creative Director Alessandro Brun of Masque Milano and Milano Fragranze, Perfumer Luca Maffei, Perfumer Antonio Alessandria and Perfumer Meo Fusciuni (Giuseppe Impezzabile), among other notables. There appear to be certain evocative aromas which they admire in common – the odor of rain, gasoline, the ocean, the earth, old books amongst them (no surprises there!). Roberta includes a glossary, bibliography, suggested reading and copious footnotes; all her engaging writing is fully documented.

Atlante degli Odori Ritrovati is a fascinating read – and I’m so thankful for both the book and the introduction. I suspect I’ve encountered another anima gemella (soul twin).

Available here

Photos courtesy of Roberta Deiana unless otherwise noted

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Art direction by Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

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