The Story of Casamorati 1888: Bologna's Lost Perfume House, Reborn
A Bologna perfume factory, a double-C trademark, a queen who could not start her mornings without it, and sixty years of silence.
Casamorati 1888 is one of the oldest names in Italian perfumery and one of its most remarkable comebacks. Founded in Bologna in the 19th century, closed in the middle of the 20th, and revived by Xerjoff in 2009, the house has lived two lives. This is the story of both, and a guide to every Casamorati fragrance we carry.
A perfume factory in Bologna
The story begins with Claudio Casamorati, who founded the C. Casamorati Perfume Factory (La Fabbrica di Profumi C. Casamorati) in Bologna during the 19th century. The house made perfumes and fine bath soaps at a moment when Italy was newly unified and Bologna was entering its Belle Époque, a period of grand exhibitions, opera nights and a growing taste for luxury goods made at home.
Casamorati quickly earned a reputation for quality. Its perfumes and bath products were known for their elegance and craftsmanship, and the house collected recognition at exhibitions well beyond the city.
1888: the year of the double C
On 17 April 1888, Claudio Casamorati registered a trademark for the house's ornate double-C logo, two mirrored letters set inside a decorative cartouche in the flowing style Italians call Liberty, their version of Art Nouveau. The mark appeared on Casamorati's soaps and perfumes and became a symbol of elegance. It is the reason the house still carries the year 1888 in its name.
A queen who could not start her day without it
The most famous chapter in Casamorati's history belongs to Queen Margherita of Savoy, the first queen of a united Italy and a patron of the arts. In 1888 Claudio Casamorati showed his perfumes at the Grande Esposizione Emiliana in Bologna, where he met the Queen. She admired his work so much that she gave him a gold pin as a token of her appreciation. The house's own telling adds that she could not begin her mornings without a Casamorati fragrance.
A royal endorsement of that kind carried real weight. It gave the double-C its aura of prestige and helped carry the house's name across Italy and abroad.
Decline and more than sixty years of silence
Casamorati flourished into the early twentieth century, but the house's fortunes turned, and by around the middle of the century the factory had closed. The double-C disappeared from shelves, and for more than 60 years the name was off the market. Few houses with such a pedigree have simply vanished, which is part of what makes the next chapter so unusual.
2009: Xerjoff brings Casamorati back
Xerjoff, the Turin-based niche house founded in 2007 by Sergio Momo and Dominique Salvo, acquired the rights to the dormant name and relaunched Casamorati in 2009. The revival was careful about what it kept. The original flacon, the double-C logo and the Art Nouveau spirit of the house all came back, giving a new generation the chance to hold the same bottle Bologna once knew.
Xerjoff also tells the story on film. Watch it on Xerjoff's journal.
Old recipes, new ideas
The relaunched collection moves between past and present. Some compositions stay close to formulas that are more than a century old: Fiore d'Ulivo and Mefisto follow recipes from the original house. Bouquet Ideale is a modern interpretation built from surviving Casamorati samples. Newer creations such as Casafutura, Dolce Amalfi and La Tosca pair historical inspiration with contemporary perfumery techniques. La Tosca takes its name from Puccini's 1900 opera, a nod to the theatrical streak that runs through a house from the city of Boito's Mefistofele.
The identity stays consistent throughout: an homage to Italian Art Nouveau perfumery that does not copy the past but updates it, in Roman-column bottles marked with the original double-C.
Casamorati 1888 timeline
- 19th century: Claudio Casamorati founds the C. Casamorati Perfume Factory in Bologna.
- 17 April 1888: The double-C logo is registered as a trademark for Casamorati soaps and perfumes.
- 1888: At the Grande Esposizione Emiliana, Claudio Casamorati meets Queen Margherita of Savoy, who gives him a gold pin.
- Mid-20th century: The house closes and leaves the market for more than 60 years.
- 2007: Sergio Momo and Dominique Salvo found Xerjoff in Turin.
- 2009: Xerjoff acquires and revives Casamorati, keeping the original flacon and logo.
- 2024: Quattro Pizzi, composed by Sofia Bardelli, adds a new chapter.
The Casamorati 1888 collection at La Jetée
La Jetée Perfumery is an authorized retailer, and every Casamorati fragrance we carry is below.
Casamorati Mefisto
A classic Italian cologne revived with quiet luxury: Calabrian lemon, grapefruit and bergamot over lavender, rose and Florentine iris, drying to clean musk and Mysore sandalwood. It stays close to the house's century-old recipe.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Mefisto
Casamorati Mefisto Gentiluomo
The Italian gentleman fresh from the barber's chair: sparkling citrus and lavender over powdery iris, rose and violet, finishing in clean musk, amber and cedar.
$315 · 100ml · Shop Mefisto Gentiluomo
Casamorati Dama Bianca
The white lady: a soft veil of violet, iris, jasmine and lily of the valley over creamy vanilla and white musk. Delicate, powdery and timelessly feminine.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Dama Bianca
Casamorati Lira
Italian patisserie glazed with blood orange. Bergamot and lavender open onto cinnamon, jasmine and rose, then a creamy base of vanilla, caramel and musk.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Lira
Casamorati Italica
Warm almond milk, saffron and Italian dessert in a velvet glass: toffee and bourbon vanilla settling on sandalwood and white musk.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Italica
Casamorati Tempio d'Acqua
Inspired by Italy's historic thermal spas: juicy peach, bergamot and mandarin over fennel and labdanum, resting on vanilla, myrrh and ambroxan.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Tempio d'Acqua
Casamorati Quattro Pizzi
A Sicilian palace in a bottle. Composed by Sofia Bardelli in 2024 as a tribute to the neo-Gothic Casa Florio Quattro Pizzi in Palermo: boozy rum, pink pepper and coriander around creamy tuberose and coconut, drying to tobacco, hay and tonka bean.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Quattro Pizzi
Casamorati Levar Del Sole
The sun rising on a fresh start. Kannauj rose, lemon, orange and bergamot over cardamom, violet and jasmine, with patchouli, musk and a caramel-benzoin glow. The name means the rising of the sun, and the phoenix is its symbol of renewal.
$330 · 100ml · Shop Levar Del Sole
Which Casamorati should you start with?
- Fresh, classic Italian cologne: Mefisto or Mefisto Gentiluomo
- Soft, powdery white florals: Dama Bianca
- Sweet, spiced gourmand: Lira
- Creamy almond dessert: Italica
- Sunlit, fruity and clean: Tempio d'Acqua
- Boozy tuberose with tobacco: Quattro Pizzi
- Bright rose-and-citrus floral: Levar Del Sole
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Casamorati?
Claudio Casamorati founded the C. Casamorati Perfume Factory in Bologna, Italy, in the 19th century. He registered the house's double-C trademark on 17 April 1888.
Is Casamorati part of Xerjoff?
Yes. Xerjoff acquired the rights to the dormant Casamorati name and revived the house in 2009, keeping its original flacon and logo.
Who was Queen Margherita of Savoy and what is her connection to Casamorati?
She was the first queen of a united Italy. After meeting Claudio Casamorati at the 1888 Grande Esposizione Emiliana, she gave him a gold pin in appreciation of his perfumes, and the house says she could not begin her mornings without them.
Why was Casamorati off the market for 60 years?
The house declined after its early-twentieth-century success and closed around the middle of the century. Its perfumes were not sold again until Xerjoff relaunched the brand in 2009.
What does the double C stand for?
It is the monogram of C. Casamorati, shown as two mirrored letters in an ornate Liberty-style cartouche, registered as a trademark on 17 April 1888 and still on the revived bottles today.
Where can I buy authentic Casamorati 1888 perfumes?
La Jetée Perfumery is an authorized retailer. Order online at lajeteeperfumery.com with free shipping on orders over $150, or visit our stores in Orlando, Nashville and Las Vegas.
Shop Casamorati 1888 Shop Xerjoff
Sources
Xerjoff, The story of Casamorati; Khrisha Perfumery, Inside Casamorati; Scent Amor, Casamorati by Xerjoff; Wikipedia, Xerjoff.