Nobile 1942

The story

The story of Nobile 1942 begins in Rome, in the middle of the war. In 1942 the grandfather of Massimo Nobile, a representative of historic perfume brands, opened the family's first perfumery and entrusted it to his wife: Massimo still remembers the scent of lavender she used to spray on her clothes and all around the shop. The trade passed from father to son. In 1979 Massimo and his brother began working as representatives in Naples, helping some important brands grow throughout Southern Italy.

In 1981, on holiday in Palinuro, Massimo met Stefania Giannino, who would become his wife and his business partner. After living in Campania, Lazio and Tuscany, in 1993 the two settled in Genoa, which reminded them of Naples with its sea, its old port and the mountains behind. In 2005, while multinationals were acquiring one brand after another, they decided to go against the tide and founded Nobile 1942: the name is the year of that first perfumery. The first perfume was Pontevecchio, a tribute to Florence, one of the cities where they had left their hearts.

Since then every fragrance has told a story. The stories of the perfumes, Stefania Giannino explains, often come from the couple's own lives and from the culture of their land, but above all from her reading of historical tales. So La Danza delle Libellule, from 2012, takes its name from an operetta by Franz Lehár and has become the house's most loved perfume; Café Chantant takes us back to the Belle Époque; Il Capriccio del Maestro is a private portrait of Giacomo Puccini. The Premium collection is dedicated to vices and virtues: the strength of Rudis, the seduction of Malia, the perseverance of Shamal, up to the anti-hero of Sine Gloria. Paradiso Perduto returns to the dreams of childhood with La Stanza delle Bambole and Il Colore del Vento, while I Rigati, with Muschio 20 Nobile, carry on the box the marble and slate stripes of Genoa's historic buildings.

Nobile 1942 describes itself as one of the rare artisan companies that produce in-house and pack by hand: every fragrance is bottled, labelled and packed one by one in the Genoa laboratory. Around the perfumes work the Italian excellences the house loves to seek out, from the damask silks of Lorsica to Florentine leather, from the blown glass of Altare to the filigree of Campo Ligure. The compositions are entrusted to noses such as Antonio Alessandria, Mathieu Nardin, Maria Celeste Lombardo, Christian Carbonnel and Kevin Mathys, and to fragrance houses such as Robertet and Moellhausen. For Massimo Nobile a perfume is like a garment, to be chosen according to the moment: the house calls it Perfume Code. All Nobile 1942 perfumes are made in Italy.

The collections

• Fragranza Suprema: the Eau de Parfum with a story to tell. La Danza delle Libellule (2012), Café Chantant (2013).
• Exceptional Edition: the most intense Extrait de Parfum, in a precious box. Il Capriccio del Maestro (2018).
• Premium: opulent Extrait de Parfum, dedicated to vices and virtues. Rudis (2014), Malia (2015), Shamal (2018), Sine Gloria (2026).
• Paradiso Perduto: Extrait de Parfum that return to the worlds of childhood. La Stanza delle Bambole (2020), Il Colore del Vento (2025).
• I Rigati: Eau de Parfum with the stripes of Genoa's buildings on the box. Muschio 20 Nobile (2024).

All the fragrances come in a 75 ml bottle. OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Nobile 1942 retailer, online and in its shop in Nettuno (Rome).

Frequently asked questions

What kind of brand is Nobile 1942?
Nobile 1942 is an Italian house of artistic perfumery with its headquarters and laboratory in Genoa, founded in 2005 by Massimo Nobile and Stefania Giannino. The name recalls the family's first perfumery, opened in Rome in 1942. Every fragrance tells a story and is bottled, labelled and packed by hand.

Which Nobile 1942 perfume should I choose?
It depends on the story you want to wear. La Danza delle Libellule is the fragrance of the smile, gourmand and fruity, with green apple, cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla. Il Capriccio del Maestro is warm and spicy, between rum, honey and tobacco; Café Chantant is gourmand and powdery, with sour cherry, heliotrope and iris. If you love leather, try Rudis and Sine Gloria; for a soft, clean perfume, Muschio 20 Nobile; for citrus, coffee and caramel, Il Colore del Vento.

What does La Danza delle Libellule by Nobile 1942 smell like?
La Danza delle Libellule is a gourmand, fruity Eau de Parfum from 2012, from the Fragranza Suprema collection: green apple and bergamot in the opening, a heart of cinnamon and cocoa, a base of vanilla, musk and cedarwood. Nobile 1942 calls it the fragrance of the smile and it is the house's best-selling perfume worldwide.

What does Sine Gloria by Nobile 1942 smell like?
Sine Gloria is a woody, ambery Extrait de Parfum from 2026, from the Premium collection, signed by Kevin Mathys: a tribute to the anti-hero. It opens with hashish, petrol, cognac and rum, has a heart of honey, tar, leather and patchouli and a base of oud, amber, vanilla and tonka bean.

What does Il Colore del Vento by Nobile 1942 smell like?
Il Colore del Vento is a citrus, gourmand Extrait de Parfum from 2025, from the Paradiso Perduto collection, signed by Maria Celeste Lombardo. The house dedicates it to those who, like a kite, defy the wind: lemon, ginger and spices in the opening, champagne, caramelised sugar and coffee in the heart, vanilla, caramel and butter in the base.

Are Nobile 1942 perfumes for men or for women?
They are designed for everyone: the house does not assign a gender to its fragrances and describes the Paradiso Perduto and Exceptional Edition collections as unisex. Some have a leaning, such as La Danza delle Libellule, which Nobile 1942 dedicates above all to women but which suits anyone who loves gourmand perfumes.

Where can I buy Nobile 1942 perfumes?
At OUD Profumeria Artistica, an authorised Nobile 1942 retailer: online, with free shipping in Italy on orders over €60 and 10 free samples on orders over €100, and in our shop in Nettuno, in the province of Rome.