High above the lush Italian countryside, splashed with vineyards and windy roads, Marie-Anne de Tremoille, princess of Nerola, Italy, wrote letters in the castle garden, under the graceful shade of an orange tree. She adored the spicy refreshing scent of the tree’s angel-white blossoms, and collected a basket to bring to the local distiller. Once the oil was ready, the Princess of Nerola joyfully anointed her white gloves with the fragrance. Little did she know, Neroli would become the most fashionable perfume of the 18th century.

Bitter orange trees are a rarity in nature because they bloom and bear fruit at the same time. Thus, orange blossoms became a symbol of good fortune and fertility often incorporated into bridal bouquets and headdresses. The tradition spread from Arabia to England, where Queen Victoria wore a grand wreath of orange blossoms on her wedding day. In Northern climates where the trees did not flourish, brides adorned themselves with wax replicas of the blossoms.What beautiful way to pay tribute to a bride by giving her Princess of Nerola!