The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Roads of Rome is part of Birkholz's Italian Collection, released in 2022. The name points straight at the city, and the composition follows. Cypress and frankincense open the picture, evoking stone chapels and afternoon heat, the kind of incense-rich air you find in old Roman churches when the sun has been beating down on travertine all day. There's a quiet weight to those top notes, resinous and green at once, almost like crushed leaves and warm stone pressed together. As the scent settles, the heart unfolds with a white floral accord built on rose and jasmine, with tagetes adding a slightly bitter, herbal snap that keeps the bouquet from drifting into pure sweetness. The base is where the composition gets interesting.
What makes the structure interesting is the conversation between incense and praline. Rather than ending on a dry resin or a sharp wood, Roads of Rome folds in praline, guaiac wood, and saffron, which gives the base a gourmand undertone without tipping into dessert territory. The tagetes in the heart is the unexpected move, a slightly bitter, herbal edge that cuts against the white floral accord and keeps the rose from feeling too pretty. That herbal sharpness gives the composition a rougher character, almost like dried stems and bruised petals rather than a polished bouquet.
The evolution
The opening hits with cypress and frankincense, almost church-like at first spritz, green and resinous in equal measure, the kind of sharp aromatic edge that suggests stone and incense smoke before the florals have had a chance to settle in. Within a short while that initial sharpness softens as rose, jasmine, and tagetes work their way up through the composition. The white floral accord is present but not loud, more of a backdrop for the rose to take center stage, with the jasmine adding just enough creamy fullness to round out the petals. As the scent continues to evolve, the incense recedes into texture rather than statement, and patchouli starts grounding the composition, lending that earthy, slightly damp undertone that woody fragrances often rely on.
Cultural impact
Roads of Rome sits within Birkholz's Italian Collection, a small series that includes other compositions inspired by Italian landscapes and atmospheres. Within the independent niche space it has drawn attention for its praline-and-incense combination, a pairing that isn't common in European independent perfumery and that gives the fragrance a gourmand warmth most incense-driven compositions avoid. The fragrance has become a frequent recommendation for wearers looking for something that bridges incense and sweetness without leaning fully into either category.
