Historical story

Poppea's Favorite Perfume

Poppea in a film. Nero's second wife loved the scent of patchouli

Goalkeeper, unscrupulous and great seductress, Poppea , the most famous of Nero's wives, she had a passion for perfumes, which she also used as irreplaceable weapons to reduce the coveted (loving) prey on duty to surrender.

Her favorite fragrance was patchouli , a plant used for centuries in India not only for its pleasant aroma but also for its supposed aphrodisiac power .

To trace the perfume of Poppea it was essential to find residues left in some bottles found in the famous and beautiful Villa di Oplontis , remains appropriately analyzed and identified by scholars.