I live in Naples, Italy and since I began wet shaving, I wanted the Santa Maria Novella Cream. A few months ago, I contacted the SMN office and asked where I could buy their cream in Naples. They were extremely kind and traded emails back and forth with me and eventually they gave me a shop that is licensed to sell their goods. I had been wanting to go for months and months but life's responsibilities would not allow me until Thursday afternoon. I finished my work at the office and turned on the GPS to guide me there. Fortunately for me it was still August and Naples is rather quiet during that one month out of the year. I found a parking garage and then walked a block or so until I reached the store.
Once inside the store, I was greeted warmly by Fabrizio and Signor Cilento himself (7th generation) and I asked about the Santa Maria Novella Crema da Barba. I was promptly shown the small section where they have the high end shaving software displayed. I was so excited that I went with the post shave lotion. Fabrizio and I were speaking and I told him how bad I had wanted to find the SMN brand. During this time, he began showing me the store. He showed me the high end items that only royalty would be able to afford and many of the items with the Cilento name that were made in house. This store has been around since 1780 and they are on their 8th generation of the Cilento name. Fabrizio showed me many historic pieces that were held on to and passed down from generation to generation. The store was so beautiful and I was so mad at myself for not taking some photos. I realized my mistake once I left the store; actually, I was about to walk out without even grabbing my goods!! Fabrizio had to stop me and say, "you forgot something."
I had a great time in there and will definitely be going back once my SMN shaving cream runs out or if I want one of the Cilento custom blended colognes. Each one of the colognes has a theme that can be applied to live in Napoli. There are neck ties as well for each of these themes. I remember a couple of them; there was the hammer and nails for the carpentry that happens there and there was also the "sette pieghi" or seven folds; this is referring to a tying a necktie.
I did ask Fabrizio to see if he could get a 360 degree view added to the website so that you can take a tour of the store and look at all of their historical heirlooms that have been passed down through 8 generations of the Cilento name.
I plan on using this combination for tomorrow's shave of the day.
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