A journey through the
chemical-pharmaceutical identity
of the city of Parma

Scroll to Explore

Pharmacopea is the project that the Chiesi Group, together with Davines, have created with the scope of promoting a journey of rediscovery through the chemical-pharmaceutical identity of the city of Parma.

Thanks also to the involvement of company volunteers, key places teaming with local excellence, such as the Orto Botanico (Botanic Gardens) and the Antique Pharmacy San Filippo Neri, are revealed through fresh eyes and previously unpublished interpretations.

A new itinerary for the city, an ancient formulation from the 16th century reimagined for a limited edition release for 2020, a limited edition 2020 perfume, a publication dedicated to the origins of this identity and the extraordinary installation of the wonderful British artist Rebecca Louise Law, which will fit a flower sky in the San Tiburzio church. These are among the initiatives that will see companies and local organizations take part in an adventure, lying somewhere between the past and the present, through a key aspect of the territory.

This project will be a part of the program ‘Imprese Aperte’ (Open Businesses) for the year Parma 2020+21 – Italian Capital of Culture.

Botanic Gardens

Heir of the seventeenth century ‘Giardino dei Semplici’ dedicated to the cultivation of medicinal herbs, the Orto Botanico of Parma has its roots in 1770...

... when the abbot Giambattista Guatteri decided to set up the institution with the support of Ferdinando I of Borbone.
Spanning 11,000 square metres in the historic centre of the city, the central part of the grounds is designed on an Italian garden setting, with two other parts consisting of an arboretum and an area dedicated to an English style garden. Within its collections, uncovered in the modern era by activities of rearrangement and enrichment, work tools of historical figures such as the previously mentioned Giambattista Guatteri, Giorgio Jan and Giovanni Passerini, are rediscovered.

Above all, its collections, including herbariums dated between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, of which include that of the botanical physician G. B. Casapini’s medicinal plants, that of the countess Albertina Sanvitale, and that of Luigi Gardoni, demonstrate an extraordinary collection of indigenous and exotic species.
Medicinal plants, insectivores and succulents are - together with the collection of spontaneous violets, including the famous Violetta di Parma – the heart of this authentic treasure with the goal of safeguarding local biodiversity.

OPENING TIMES

It can be visited individually upon reservation from Tuesday to Friday, 10-13 and 15-18.*

* The evolution of the Emergency Situation due to COVID-19 could lead to changes to the opening hours


Str. Luigi Carlo Farini, 90, 43121 Parma PR.

Antique Pharmacy and Chapel Of San Tiburzio

Extraordinarily integrated into the original structure dating back to 1789, the Antique Pharmacy San Filippo Neri is a hidden gem and one of the city’s best kept secrets, located in Vicolo San Tiburzio in the heart of Parma.

A symbol of a magnificent, 500-year story of pharmaceuticals and healthcare, the Galenic laboratory, once known as the ‘Spezieria of Charity’, intertwines its path with that of the ‘Congregation of Charity’, the protagonist of a cultural saga based on care, solidarity and community, which can still be experienced today thanks to the chemical and medical instruments, the ancient preparations, the printed recipe books and the manuscripts that are still kept on the wooden shelves.

Adjacent to the Chapel of San Tiburzio – built in the place that saw the rise of the first Christian church in Parma in the fifth century – the Antique Pharmacy can be considered an integral part of an ante litteram social project that aimed to take care of the needy.
The ‘Archive of Charity’, located on the upper floor of the building, preserves an impressive mass of unpublished papers and documents, useful in the reconstruction a surprising story that tells of products given to the poor, of adapted recipes created in the absence of precious substances, and of the birth of the first and very efficient urban territorial health service.

OPENING TIMES

Open on Friday and Saturday from 16 to 20*, other days by appointment. You can book your visit by e-mail at congregazione@adpersonam.pr.it

* The evolution of the Emergency Situation due to COVID-19 could lead to changes to the opening hours

Vicolo S. Tiburzio, 5, / Borgo Palmia, 6 - 43121 Parma PR.

Antique Spezieria*

Unveiled to the city in 1952, the Antique Spezieria of the Benedictine Monastery of San Giovanni now occupies four of the eight rooms that constituted its original layout in the 13th century.

Laicized and separated from the convent to avoid its closure, threatened by the Bourbon minister Du Tillot in 1766, the spezieria was managed by the Garni family until 1881.
Around 250 pieces, including vases, albarelli, flasks and mugs, are displayed on the shelves across various rooms, each of which takes its name from its characteristic contents and specific elements.

For example, the fireplace characterizes the Fire Room, where you can admire the sale counters, the nineteenth-century scales and a series of small weights using units of measurement such as dram and scruples. From here, we move through to the Hall of Mortars, dominated by frescoes and friezes designed to glorify medical science, scattered with pots in majolica or porcelain and tools indispensable to the pharmacists for the crushing and grinding of herbs.

Finally, the carved allegorical figures on the shelves justify the name of the Mermaid Room, a place dedicated to the preservation of documents about medicine and pharmacopoeia. However, it is the beakers and glass bottles characteristic of a small laboratory that suggest the activity of the production of medicines carried out by the location.

*the spezieria is a specific type of historical pharmacy, creating products and ailments using herbs and spices. There is no direct translation in English for ‘spezieria’.

Actually under renovation. Not visitable.

Borgo Pipa, 3, 43121 Parma PR.

Company Volunteering

Publication

Rebecca Louise Law Florilegium Exhibition

Herbarium research fellowship

Archive research San Filippo Neri and Davines’ limited edition 2020 perfume

Creation of a tourist itinerary

The Orto Botanico, Antique Spezieria and the Antique Pharmacy with the Chapel of San Tiburzio are the crucial stops on the path of the project imagined by Davines and the Chiesi Group.

This path is a way to retell, from various points of view, the story of the chemical-pharmaceutical sector, weaving its historical origins in the local area to the industrial sector that has allowed the development of its practices and knowledge.

The itinerary aims to uncover the crucial yet submerged roots through a path developed from various perspectives, including from cosmetics, history of perfume and history of chemical-pharmaceuticals.

The objective of the project Pharmacopea is to rediscover and reaffirm these symbolic locations, demonstrating the charm that the territory can bring to tourism attracted by sustainability, cosmetics and the tradition of wellbeing.

The Chiesi Group

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi Farmaceutici is an international research-oriented group with 85 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical sector, operating in 29 countries. The Group conducts research, develops and markets innovative drugs for respiratory treatment, Special Care medicine and rare diseases. The Group’s Research and Development Centre is based in Parma (Italy) and coordinates the activities of 4 other important R&D groups in France, the USA, the UK and Sweden to promote its own pre-clinical, clinical and registration programmes.

The Group employs around 6,000 people. Chiesi is a certified B Corp.


For further information please go to our website www.chiesi.com

Davines

The Davines brand was born in 1983, dedicated to the professional hairdressing market, followed in 1996 by the Comfort Zone cosmetic division.

Davines identifies “Sustainable Beauty” as the aspirational ideal on which the company’s success is built. Initially translated into environmental protection initiatives, this concept has evolved over time to represent the guideline that underlies all business activities.
Summarized in the slogan "Sustainable Beauty", transparency, beauty, respect, and sustainability are values that have become key elements in defining the correct actions inside and outside of the company, but are also transformed into intangible and fundamental ingredients of the product.

Davines is a certified B Corp.


For further information please go to our website www.davines.com

Partner companies

Cosmoproject

Founded in 1993 by Primo Tortini, Cosmoproject is today the preferential point of reference for the main brands of the cosmetic industry and private labels.The Research&Development Laboratory deals with the creation and design of cutting edge formulas in the fields of skin care, makeup and medical devices. Each project is tested and evaluated in terms of effectiveness, functionality and sensoriality in the brand new Laboratory of Applied Cosmetic, and in terms of safety in the Microbiology Laboratory, which are all in house.

The first-level manufacturing system goes with a global attention paid to quality. A full service from the formulation to the distribution for the utmost customers’ satisfaction.

www.cosmoproject.it 

INSTITUTIONAL Partners

Ad Personam

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

Università degli studi di Parma

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

Polo Museale Emilia Romagna

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

With the collaboration of:

TECHNICAL PARTNERS

Ottn projects

Established in 2018, OTTN Projects is a non-profit organization that creates connections between art, culture, and people through contemporary art experiences. This female-run business promotes new formats of operating in the art scene, moved by the creative freedom of our generation. The projects can be divided into two broad categories: projects devoted to artists' support, and projects which focus on bringing art to the public.

OTTN Projects contributes to content creation within the art world through a podcast, a blog, community support and more.

www.ottnprojects.com 

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Fico Creative Studio

The Studio is born from the natural evolution of the creative process, generated by the union of moreprofessionalism. We explore a wide range of projects: branding, websites, social media, interior-exteriordesign, multimedia and events. Walking with the customer makes us agile and enlightened.Our multidisciplinary experience gives us an excellent understanding of each client, allowing us to expresshis true identity.
Behind our philosophy there is stylistic coherence: respecting the soul of the brand, bringing it to light naturally. This puts us in the unique position of having the competence of every single professional, combined with the great idea that underlies the creative process.
We recognize ourselves in contemporary culture and we aspire to propose a new narrative.

www.ficocreative.com

PRESS OFFICE

Ella Digital di Carla Soffritti
(Only journalists and Blogger)

info@ella.it

FOLLOW US

CREATORS

© 2021 CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A. - P.I. 01513360345 - REA: 159271
© 2021 Davines. P.I. 00692360340 – R.E.A. PR 156502

Pharmacopea is the project that the Chiesi Group, together with Davines, have created with the scope of promoting a journey of rediscovery through the chemical-pharmaceutical identity of the city of Parma.

Thanks also to the involvement of company volunteers, key places teaming with local excellence, such as the Orto Botanico (Botanic Gardens) and the Antique Pharmacy San Filippo Neri, are revealed through fresh eyes and previously unpublished interpretations.

A new itinerary for the city, an ancient formulation from the 16th century reimagined for a limited edition release for 2020, a limited edition 2020 perfume, a publication dedicated to the origins of this identity and the extraordinary installation of the wonderful British artist Rebecca Louise Law, which will fit a flower sky in the San Tiburzio church. These are among the initiatives that will see companies and local organizations take part in an adventure, lying somewhere between the past and the present, through a key aspect of the territory.

This project will be a part of the program ‘Imprese Aperte’ (Open Businesses) for the year Parma 2020 – Italian Capital of Culture.

The Orto Botanico, Antique Spezieria and the Antique Pharmacy with the Chapel of San Tiburzio are the crucial stops on the path of the project imagined by Davines and the Chiesi Group.

This path is a way to retell, from various points of view, the story of the chemical-pharmaceutical sector, weaving its historical origins in the local area to the industrial sector that has allowed the development of its practices and knowledge.

The itinerary aims to uncover the crucial yet submerged roots through a path developed from various perspectives, including from cosmetics, history of perfume and history of chemical-pharmaceuticals.

The objective of the project Pharmacopea is to rediscover and reaffirm these symbolic locations, demonstrating the charm that the territory can bring to tourism attracted by sustainability, cosmetics and the tradition of wellbeing.

The Chiesi Group

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi Farmaceutici is an international research-oriented group with 85 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical sector, operating in 29 countries.

The Group conducts research, develops and markets innovative drugs for respiratory treatment, Special Care medicine and rare diseases.

The Group’s Research and Development Centre is based in Parma (Italy) and coordinates the activities of 4 other important R&D groups in France, the USA, the UK and Sweden to promote its own pre-clinical, clinical and registration programmes.

The Group employs around 6,000 people. Chiesi is a certified B Corp.

For further information please go to our website www.chiesi.com

Davines

The Davines brand was born in 1983, dedicated to the professional hairdressing market, followed in 1996 by the Comfort Zone cosmetic division.

Davines identifies “Sustainable Beauty” as the aspirational ideal on which the company’s success is built.

Initially translated into environmental protection initiatives, this concept has evolved over time to represent the guideline that underlies all business activities. Summarized in the slogan "Sustainable Beauty", transparency, beauty, respect, and sustainability are values that have become key elements in defining the correct actions inside and outside of the company, but are also transformed into intangible and fundamental ingredients of the product.

Davines is a certified B Corp.


For further information please go to our website www.davines.com

Partner companies

Cosmoproject

Founded in 1993 by Primo Tortini, Cosmoproject is today the preferential point of reference for the main brands of the cosmetic industry and private labels.The Research&Development Laboratory deals with the creation and design of cutting edge formulas in the fields of skin care, makeup and medical devices. Each project is tested and evaluated in terms of effectiveness, functionality and sensoriality in the brand new Laboratory of Applied Cosmetic, and in terms of safety in the Microbiology Laboratory, which are all in house.

The first-level manufacturing system goes with a global attention paid to quality. A full service from the formulation to the distribution for the utmost customers’ satisfaction.

www.cosmoproject.it 

INSTITUTIONAL Partners

Ad Personam

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

Università degli studi di Parma

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

Polo Museale Emilia Romagna

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

With the collaboration of:

TECHNICAL PARTNERS

Ottn projects

Established in 2018, OTTN Projects is a non-profit organization that creates connections between art, culture, and people through contemporary art experiences. This female-run business promotes new formats of operating in the art scene, moved by the creative freedom of our generation. The projects can be divided into two broad categories: projects devoted to artists' support, and projects which focus on bringing art to the public.

OTTN Projects contributes to content creation within the art world through a podcast, a blog, community support and more.

www.ottnprojects.com 

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Fico Creative Studio

The Studio is born from the natural evolution of the creative process, generated by the union of more professionalism. We explore a wide range of projects: branding, websites, social media, interior-exterior design, multimedia and events. Walking with the customer makes us agile and enlightened.Our multidisciplinary experience gives us an excellent understanding of each client, allowing us to express his true identity.
Behind our philosophy there is stylistic coherence: respecting the soul of the brand, bringing it to light naturally. This puts us in the unique position of having the competence of every single professional, combined with the great idea that underlies the creative process.
We recognize ourselves in contemporary culture and we aspire to propose a new narrative.

www.ficocreative.it 

PRESS OFFICE

Ella Digital di Carla Soffritti
info@ella.it
+ 39 0521336376 - 3358388895

FOLLOW US

CREATORS

© 2020 CHIESI Farmaceutici S.p.A. - P.I. 01513360345 - REA: 159271
© 2020 Davines. P.I. 00692360340 – R.E.A. PR 156502

Please rotate your device
for a better experience