The Making of La Primavera

Each year in March, the northern Italian city of Sanremo ushers in the first tentative days of spring in the most dramatic fashion. The annual Corso Fiorito (Flower Parade) is a testament to Sanremo’s reputation as the City of Flowers, with dozens of florally bedecked floats winding their way through the streets to mark the beginning of flower season.

“Upon morning light in spring and summer this city bursts with a bouquet of scent,” says LUMIRA founder and creative director Almira Armstrong. “It awakens the senses and, as a fragrance creator, is endlessly inspiring.”

Armstrong has translated her experience of Sanremo into the La Primavera Candle, a fittingly floral tribute with a dominant bouquet of jasmine, rose leaf and lily underscored by a warm and smooth base of patchouli, cashmere and moss. “La Primavera captures so many special memories of my time in San Remo, from my early morning walks beside the azure waters, with a fresh breeze blowing off the Riviera dei Fiori, to the spectacular array of flowers lining the city’s streets,” Armstrong says. “It’s one of my favourite scents and has been loved by so many since it launched.”

Happily, the La Primavera range will expand next month, with the arrival of a new Parfum (launching November 2019). “I’ve had so many requests for this scent to be available in wearable form,” says Armstrong. “It was a perfect choice to be included in our new Parfum collection, and reflects everything that is loved about the fragrance.” At the same time, the La Primavera Candle will be updated with LUMIRA’s signature black packaging, however the distinct scent will remain unchanged.

“I love that in Sanremo there are still spots of unvarnished beauty where you can vacation among locals who are embracing their own way of life,” Armstrong recalls. “La Primavera seeks to emulate this very natural and unforced beauty, whether for the home or for the wearer.”

Interested in exploring Sanremo for yourself? Our guide to where to stay, eat and visit is below…

Stay: Built circa 1870, The Royal Hotel Sanremo is the unrivalled place to stay. In the tradition of Europe’s grand hotels, it knows how to make the most of its surrounding assets, with incredible views across the Mediterranean, a heated sea-water pool and its own private subtropical park.

Eat: There’s stiff competition for the best local seafood, but A Cuvea is popular with locals and visitors alike and is set only a couple of blocks back from the ocean.

Visit: The famous Sanremo flower market is an unmissable experience. Stretching across several thousand hectares, it’s one of the biggest and most important markets in Europe. Don’t leave without a bunch of the local carnations.

Play: For unbridled glamour, pay a visit to the Sanremo Casino, a historic rival to the flashy casinos of nearby Monaco. Built in the early 20th century, its art nouveau architecture is quite exquisite.

Written by Michelle Bateman