A particularly pleasant array of scents wafted through the open air of the Palazzi Community Center on Monday, December 2. Husband and wife, and business partners Marco Della Lastra and Rossella Rinaldini had made the trip down the street from Profumeria Invicta with some of their finest perfumes for the latest “Made in Florence” event, hosted by the American University of Florence.

During their hour-long discussion with the group about their store and its important legacy, the pair provided listeners with samples over more than half a dozen perfumes. The samples created a deluge of aromatic excitement: lemon and lime, aged wood, cherry blossoms, an oceanside breeze. As Rinaldini described the crucialness of curation and the feelings evoked by each smell, the audience had the chance to experience the perfume firsthand.

Rinaldini emphasized the importance of approaching every step of the perfume-making process with care and passion. The art director gives freedom to the nose—the individual who has studied ingredients, chemicals, and more, and uses their experience to create the perfume. They are free, absolutely free. While art directors may occasionally say no, it’s rare because selecting a nose establishes a crucial relationship from the outset. The perfumes come after that connection is formed.

Few shops in Florence are more historic and essential than Profumeria Invicta. Located on Via Ricasoli, halfway between the Duomo and the Galleria dell’Accademia Museum, the store has operated for almost 80 years in the figurative heart of the Renaissance city. The perfumery was opened in 1946 by the legendary Mario Nassi. Coming off the heels of World War II and the fascist regime in Italy, Nassi’s store was a bright spot during a time of rebuilding. As the store grew in notoriety over the next 20 years, it expanded its wares to more high-end products and perfumes, and even collaborated with a local beauty school to help train new generations of specialists.

The store specializes in more than just perfumes, though. Hair care products, like brushes and clips, have been one of Invicta’s staples since it was first founded. Elegant clothing, accessories, and jewelry can all be found on the store’s shelves as well, as the owners offer complementary items to pair with customers’ new perfumes. The store offers many of the highest quality products from Italy and countries around the world like Japan, Australia, and France.

The construction of the store matches the level of the items offered inside. Florentines and tourists alike are captivated by the distinctive characteristics of the storefront, with its aged wooden door frames and arsenal of products arranged neatly in the window. At night, the glow coming from the shop’s signs and interior give off an inviting aura.

“It’s not difficult, because all of these brands have special boxes and special bottles, so it’s not difficult to put them in the shop because they can be together,” Rinaldini said about the process of designing the storefront. “This is a very important question, because we choose the brands maybe for the elegance … Nothing cheap, nothing too strong, nothing too volgare.”

For Rinaldini, Profumeria Invicta is more than just a career. The store gives her an opportunity to connect with those around her, both native Italians and people from around the globe. “Of course we are visited by many, many, many strangers, so we can give something to them, they come back to their county, and they conserve memory of the experience in our shop. And it’s so beautiful; very beautiful things for them, but very beautiful things for us because we learn, every day, so many things. If you come from India, if you come from China, you can give me information. I can see your style, and I have to try to understand you when I suggest you something. So it’s a very difficult job to work with strangers, but so beautiful,” she said.

As she and Lastra regaled the Palazzi crowd with tales of their experience as shop owners, Rinaldini expressed the true joy she derives from building a space all their own. When visiting other perfumeries, she is oftentimes struck by the impersonal nature of them. Many are cold and minimalist, with few colors and products on display to match modern aesthetics. Rinaldini looks to contrast that with Invicta by crafting a warm feeling for all of its visitors.

“My mission was to have something mine that can give me happiness. Not satisfaction in money, but another kind of satisfaction,” she said. “That’s why, I think, people who come, many people say wow, there is a special atmosphere here, and they don’t understand immediately what it is. But if they stay, and when they leave, they start to understand, because there is a special feeling. When you come, it’s like to come into our home.”

For those looking for real, quality fashion products in Florence, there are few options that can rival Profumeria Invicta. Its hands-on approach to finding customers the items that best fit their style is an invaluable asset. The store has been a staple of Florentine culture for generations, and will remain so for years to come.