The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Genua takes its name from the Italian city itself, a city of maritime history, coastal forests, and ancient harbors. Released in 2016, the fragrance was created by Henri Bergia and Eric Fracapane as part of Paglieri's Città collection, a series of scents named for Italian cities. The brief was simple on paper: translate Liguria into liquid form. Maritime air. Coastal pines. The incense that once filled the old port where trade routes met. Ambition, for a fragrance. Whether it succeeds depends on whether you've stood in those forests yourself.
What makes it work is the myrrh. Bitter, warm, resinous, it gives Genua a Mediterranean character that isn't just sunshine and bergamot. The olive blossom in the heart reinforces this, adding a green herbal note that reads distinctly Ligurian. It's not a romanticized portrait. It's an honest one, austere enough to be interesting, warm enough to wear.
The evolution
The opening announces itself quickly, lemon and black pepper cutting through with Mediterranean directness. That citrus-bitter freshness doesn't linger long. Within minutes, the myrrh and vetiver arrive, steering the composition toward green herbal territory. The basil in the heart deepens this, adding another layer of bitter complexity to the green notes. Resinous elements begin their slow reveal almost from the start. By the late drydown, the incense and cypress take over, creating a quiet, almost spiritual quality that lasts for hours. The final impression is sandalwood and patchouli, warm, woody, close. On fabric, it can persist into the next day. The sillage stays moderate throughout, never loud, but consistent.
Cultural impact
Genua sits comfortably within the woody-green category, offering something with more character than many mainstream offerings. The bitter-fresh myrrh throughout gives it a distinctive edge that stands apart from safer citrus-and-wood compositions. It's the kind of fragrance that rewards attention.
The House
PaglieriPaglieri is an Italian fragrance and personal care company headquartered in Alessandria, a city in the Piedmont region. The company operates within the Paglieri family legacy, originally established as a perfume production house in the late 19th century. Its most celebrated creation remains Felce Azzurra, a cologne launched in 1923 by Luigi Paglieri and his son Lodovico that achieved remarkable commercial success in Italy. Beyond its signature scent, Paglieri produces a range of personal care and home fragrance products, maintaining an uninterrupted presence in Italian households for over a century. The brand's portfolio includes several fragrance lines released in the 2010s and 2020s, including the Tribute collection honoring Italian cities and the Essenza Autentica series.
The Creator
Henri Bergia & Eric FracapaneHenri’s style leans toward warm, aromatic foundations built on high‑quality woods, spices and aromatic herbs. He favors natural absolutes such as rose otto and jasmine sambac, pairing them with mineral ambergris or subtle resins to add depth.
