Citrusy
Woody
Top Notesbergamot
Heartincensemagnolia
Base Notesbenzoincypriollabdanumpatchoulivirginia cedar
Style
unisex
This formula is a huge bergamot space heated by a resinous background.
It's a bit like a Greek island in August when the aromas of sweet citruses mix with the green balsamic smell of cypresses and incensy vibes of rockrose Everything gets lifted into the air by the heat reflected from the stony ground. You can almost hear the cicadas in tall dry grass in this perfume.
Ithaka is the first perfume in the Versi trilogy exploring the relationship between poetry and perfumery and how to appreciate it.
It's inspired by the poem Ithaka written by C. P. Cavafy, and first published in 1911.
Perfumer: Camille Chemardin
Genesis, Concept and Creative Design: Stefania Squeglia
***
Ithaka (the poem)
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon — don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon — you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind —
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
***
P. Cavafy, fromC.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems.Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Translation Copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Reproduced with permission of Princeton University Press.
Source: C.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems (Princeton University Press, 1975)
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Ithaka suits an unhurried afternoon outdoors, when stone still holds the sun’s heat and conversation slows to the rhythm of cicadas. Its broad citrus brightness feels open and expansive, while the incense and resins lend a contemplative weight beneath that light.
How to wear
Try it in spring or summer, when the contrast between bergamot and warm resins feels most at home. Begin with one or two sprays on skin: heat can bring the balsamic richness forward, so keep application light in hot weather. In cooler air, give the woody-resinous side time to unfold.
Who it’s for
For those who enjoy citrus with depth rather than a brisk cologne finish. Ithaka will appeal to lovers of incense, labdanum and balsamic woods who want brightness without losing texture, warmth or a reflective character.
Release year
2019
The nose
Camille Chemardin composed Ithaka, translating its literary inspiration into a broad bergamot opening set against incense, woods and warm resins. She is credited separately from Stefania Squeglia, who developed the concept and creative design.
Collaborators
Stefania Squeglia developed Ithaka’s genesis, concept and creative design, establishing the poetic framework that Camille Chemardin interpreted in the fragrance.
Mendittorosa’s story
Mendittorosa approaches perfume as personal expression through its Odori d’Anima, or “Scents of the Soul.” Founded by Stefania Squeglia, the house pairs emotionally driven compositions with Italian artisanal presentation, choosing perfumers for their ability to interpret a vision rather than their fame.
Ithaka’s concept
Ithaka opens the Versi Studio trilogy, which explores the relationship between poetry and perfumery. Its inspiration is C. P. Cavafy’s poem “Ithaka,” where the journey matters more than arrival. The fragrance gives that idea a sun-heated Mediterranean setting: expansive citrus, balsamic greenery and incense rising from warm stone.
Extra info
The presentation extends the voyage theme: a handcrafted wooden cap accompanies a hand-incised tablet depicting a small boat at sea, while the wooden box takes inspiration from art-shipping crates. Despite its rich resinous profile, Ithaka is designated a 20% eau de parfum, not an extrait.
Featured in edits and sample packs
Exploring LabdanumHeroes, Gods, & Monsters
Top Notesbergamot
Heartincensemagnolia
Base Notesbenzoincypriollabdanumpatchoulivirginia cedar
Style
unisex
This formula is a huge bergamot space heated by a resinous background.
It's a bit like a Greek island in August when the aromas of sweet citruses mix with the green balsamic smell of cypresses and incensy vibes of rockrose Everything gets lifted into the air by the heat reflected from the stony ground. You can almost hear the cicadas in tall dry grass in this perfume.
Ithaka is the first perfume in the Versi trilogy exploring the relationship between poetry and perfumery and how to appreciate it.
It's inspired by the poem Ithaka written by C. P. Cavafy, and first published in 1911.
Perfumer: Camille Chemardin
Genesis, Concept and Creative Design: Stefania Squeglia
***
Ithaka (the poem)
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon — don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon — you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind —
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
***
P. Cavafy, fromC.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems.Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Translation Copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Reproduced with permission of Princeton University Press.
Source: C.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems (Princeton University Press, 1975)
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Ithaka suits an unhurried afternoon outdoors, when stone still holds the sun’s heat and conversation slows to the rhythm of cicadas. Its broad citrus brightness feels open and expansive, while the incense and resins lend a contemplative weight beneath that light.
How to wear
Try it in spring or summer, when the contrast between bergamot and warm resins feels most at home. Begin with one or two sprays on skin: heat can bring the balsamic richness forward, so keep application light in hot weather. In cooler air, give the woody-resinous side time to unfold.
Who it’s for
For those who enjoy citrus with depth rather than a brisk cologne finish. Ithaka will appeal to lovers of incense, labdanum and balsamic woods who want brightness without losing texture, warmth or a reflective character.
Release year
2019
The nose
Camille Chemardin composed Ithaka, translating its literary inspiration into a broad bergamot opening set against incense, woods and warm resins. She is credited separately from Stefania Squeglia, who developed the concept and creative design.
Collaborators
Stefania Squeglia developed Ithaka’s genesis, concept and creative design, establishing the poetic framework that Camille Chemardin interpreted in the fragrance.
Mendittorosa’s story
Mendittorosa approaches perfume as personal expression through its Odori d’Anima, or “Scents of the Soul.” Founded by Stefania Squeglia, the house pairs emotionally driven compositions with Italian artisanal presentation, choosing perfumers for their ability to interpret a vision rather than their fame.
Ithaka’s concept
Ithaka opens the Versi Studio trilogy, which explores the relationship between poetry and perfumery. Its inspiration is C. P. Cavafy’s poem “Ithaka,” where the journey matters more than arrival. The fragrance gives that idea a sun-heated Mediterranean setting: expansive citrus, balsamic greenery and incense rising from warm stone.
Extra info
The presentation extends the voyage theme: a handcrafted wooden cap accompanies a hand-incised tablet depicting a small boat at sea, while the wooden box takes inspiration from art-shipping crates. Despite its rich resinous profile, Ithaka is designated a 20% eau de parfum, not an extrait.
Featured in edits and sample packs
Exploring LabdanumHeroes, Gods, & Monsters