Text: Ilídia Pinto
Perfume is back in Lisbon’s Baixa downtown area
It is at the corner of two of the Baixa’s most iconic arteries: Rua da Madalena, named after St Mary Magdalen, the patron saint of parfumiers; and Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, where you will find Claus Porto’s newest shop. The choice of location was deliberate. In the past, this part of the city was the most perfumed in Europe, with as many parfumiers as jewellers. Now Claus Porto is developing quality perfumes in this Lisbon neighbourhood.
The shop’s theme is travel. This is not only because of its proximity to Lisbon’s new Cruise Terminal, the point of entry for many of the thousands of tourists who visit the city every year, but because this zone has become a meeting point for travellers from all over the world, attracted here by the beauty of the monuments and by its modern hotels, restaurants and fashion stores. And, for this reason, the entire selection of Claus Porto products at Rua da Madalena have been developed to be travel friendly, making them ideal gifts.
The store is in the ground floor of an 18th-century Pombaline building that has been renovated to restore the original features that had been damaged as a consequence of the alterations made to the building over the centuries. The façade, constructed in lioz marble, a rare limestone found in Portugal, can be found on some of the most iconic national monuments, including the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower.
Inside, the shop appears like the foyer of a contemporary “Grand Hotel”, in an homage to the iconic packaging of the Claus Porto Deco, Clássico and Musgo Real collections. The main feature will be the new soap bar, where customers and visitors can compose different combinations of scents and create their own personalised soap.
“The relaxing and stylish space will be the perfect complement to the Claus Porto shop in Chiado, which will remain the brand’s main location in Lisbon”, the company confirmed. With 130 years of history and accumulated tradition of making soaps, perfumes and a range of fragrances, Claus Porto also has a Flagship Store on Rua das Flores in Porto, as well as a space in the NoLita district of New York, which has won many awards.
