I needed a comb, a small one for my beard. This shop had a beautiful horn comb, about 3 inches long for 17 euros, about $26. I passed and chose the small plastic, dime-a-dozen comb. Well, not exactly. the little plastic comb, itself only three inches long, and not even contained in a tiny pouch or a silk sack, cost 9 euros, about $14.00. I know; my bad. It’s my own fault. But beware of buying anything in a farmicia in Florence, especially this one unless you want to buy a specially made, original mixture shampoo from the 19th century. That’s only about $7.00.

Last year’s travel companion made me aware of this charming shop: In a women’s mag, she had read about the favourite locations of a walking clothes rack (aka top model). In Florence, that lady praised the Farmacia Münstermann which has been based there since 1897 (!).

When you stop by, the tiny store comes across as a regular pharmacy. But there’s more to it: They sell a large variety of self-made fragrances and skin care products whose preparation supposedly hasn’t changed since the beginnings.

Münstermann doesn’t offer creative concoctions of the modernistic kind. They stick to puristic versions of proven favourites – including: citrus, amber, fern, acacia, gardenia, geranium, lily, lime, tabac, musk, orchid, patchouly, peach, red and tea rose, sandal wood, vanilla, leather, honey-almond, cinnamon, peach-lime, and bergamotto.

In case you can’t make it to Florence, you can order Münstermann’s products here: http://www.munstermann.it/ordinaeng.html

BTW, the website of the Comune di Firenze (http://www.comune.fi.it) says this about Münstermann:
>> In 1897 the German pharmacist Münstermann opened his shop that was the first to offer homeopathic cures in Florence. He had a great success and in 1908 the pharmacy moved to the building in piazza Goldoni and took the new name, Farmacia Anglo-Americana, that it kept until 1935. The original nineteenth century furnishings are all there intact, even though some adaptations became necessary in the early 1900s when the building itself was remodeled to make way for the new tram line. The 1966 flood inflicted serious damage. However, in spite of these vicissitudes, the pharmacy still conserves its original character that forms the perfect setting for the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics that are still made according to the original old formulas. <<