According to legend, in the Liguria region of Italy, a fisherman left a cauldron on a beach.  The cauldron contained some olive oil, and a few other ingredients that contained soda.  His wife accidentally boiled the mixture, and voilà! soap was created.  Then in the early 19th century, a London barber transformed that basic soap into a perfumed cosmetic - similar to the soaps we are familiar with today.

But let's go back to Italy, where we have a pioneer of soap making: Dante Nesti, the founder of the company (bearing his name) and based in the beautiful Tuscan capital of Florence.

In 1945, at the very young age of 20, Dante Nesti started to make soap in his home, using a small, 50 liter cauldron.  In a mere three years, his skill had created the company - Nesti Dante - and it became quickly registered with the Chamber of Commerce in Florence.

Today, the Nesti Dante company is managed by Dante's son Roberto and by a third generation - Carolina and Edoardo.   It is one of the few companies in the world which still produces soap according to traditional artisanal methods, throughout  the complete cycle of production.

Nesti Dante strictly follows the historical process of boiling the ingredients in a cauldron.  This takes several days and requires the continual assistance and monitoring by master soap makers and perfumers.   They supervise the various phases of saponification (the chemical process in soap making that combines a fat source - either animal or vegetable - and an alkali.)   And as vegetable fat is of higher quality than animal fat, no animal fat is ever used in Nesti Dante products.  In fact, all of the raw materials chosen are of the very highest quality.  No  synthetic surfactants are ever allowed; as they are responsible for allergies and irritation of the skin, hair and eyes.

Once the soap has been finished according to the high standards of the master soap makers, the final product is completed with refined, elegant Florentine packaging.  And the results?  In the words of Nesti Dante's founder: "We will always work not to be the biggest, but to be the best."

Now for over half a century, Nesti Dante has created some of the most distinctive and luxurious, handcrafted soaps on the market, all inspired by the beautiful region of Florence, Italy.  We are proud to offer you luxurious soaps from four of the Nesti Dante lines:

Il Frutteto, combining the energy of fresh fruit and olive oil -

Horto Botanico, scented with the subtle and earthy aromas of vegetables -

Dei Colli Fiorentini (from the Florentine Hills) infused with the bloomy perfumes of the Florentine Hills -

Florentia, a beautiful gift set, scented with floral fragrances from the Italian garden.

These lovely soaps have been featured in O Magazine, Cosmo and Vogue.