Colonia Pelle di Spagna Wally

The smallest state in the world is the Vatican City State (Stato della Città del Vaticano). However, it would be a misconception (though not a heresy) to assume that it exists solely so that the Pope can merrily act like a state and receive and send ambassadors, who in the latter case would not be ambassadors but nuncios.

He could do all of this even if the Vatican State were dissolved: Traditionally, the Pope as a person functions as a unique subject of international law (and is thus equivalent to states) under the corporate name "the Holy See" (funny English term: The Holy See). The German diplomat on Via di Villa Sacchetti is therefore not the ambassador to the Vatican, but the ambassador to the Holy See.

The Spanish Embassy to the Holy See has been located for centuries in a place simply called Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square), which is also home to the famous (huge) Spanish Steps (which is only called that in German; the Italians have a different name for it), where all of Rome gathers on mild summer nights (I have sat there too).

Pelle di Spagna has nothing to do with the Piazza di Spagna, but rather with sausage skin. Pelle is one of the Italian words for skin or leather, and I assume it is the same word used for sausage casing.

Why the Italian company Wally, about which I might share something in a future comment, named its Russian leather cologne CUOIO di Russia and its Spanish leather cologne PELLE di Spagna, I do not know. Perhaps there are subtle differences between cuoio and pelle that the Italian sister chapter of Wolle's Herner group can explain to us.

So we have a Spanish leather scent here, and the question arises, what on earth is that? Until today, I wasn't quite sure either. According to a Parfumo database search, there are perhaps two dozen fragrances named "Spanish Leather," "Spanish Juchten," "Spanish Leather," "Pelle di Spagna," and similar, and they all have in common that they are quite old, and most of them have already been discontinued. Many of them are colognes or aftershaves, and most combine orangey notes with rugged masculine elements like hearty spices and leather.

Until someone offers something better, I would suggest the following working definition: Spanish leather is a traditional, now rare fragrance direction primarily for men's scents, whose main components are orange (and related notes) on one hand and spicy, woody, and leathery notes on the other. One could say it is a kind of cross between "Eaux de Portugal" (light citrus colognes with an orange twist) and what I refer to as "brown colognes."

So much for the theory. Now to the practice. I cannot yet make a comparison, as this is the first Spanish leather scent I am testing, and I find it excellent. Oenologically speaking, it is certainly not a Grand Cru, but a pure, solid house wine, from which the inclination towards something greater shines through.

For me, this rather linear little water is distinguished by an almost unique orange note. Firstly, it is incredibly long-lasting (three to four hours, at least, when splashed). Secondly, it is also very special in its nature. It is free from all superficial sprightliness and freshness. However, it is not that characteristically bitter orange peel zest, but a very own, almost noble woody bitterness with a very restrained sweetness, like a fine dark chocolate with a subtle orange addition.

The counterpoint is a bouquet of very hearty masculine spices, nailed to a sturdy wooden beam. Both on the manufacturer's side and here in the Parfumo pyramid, it is only generically referred to as "spicy notes"; I would guess here on allspice, a dark cinnamon, and of course the richly present juniper (juniper is explicitly mentioned, and I immediately buy that from the company; I just cooked with juniper yesterday and still have the scent fresh in my nose). Whether a hint of leather comes into play or whether the whole thing creates a leather illusion again (like in the old birch tar story from Russian leather) remains to be seen.

What is certain is that I like this Wally. Frau von Spee does too: In her opinion, it is the best of the three purchased. As mentioned, longevity and sillage are quite decent for a cologne (but without cheekily crossing the boundaries of the genre). The price is moderate: The 500-ml splash bottle costs 34 euros. Unlike, for example, the "Classica" from the same line, the scent is not offered in a 100-ml spray bottle (with vintage pump tassel) (that would have been 28 euros).

Addenda:

(1) Out of gratitude for not having been murdered for my scathing review of a very popular women's fragrance here (so far), nor (as far as can be seen) having the numerous charming female admirers of that unspeakable product break diplomatic relations with me, I have retreated today back to familiar territory. The Cologne uncle is doing infotainment for Lockdown II. Everything back to normal. Snooze.

(2) Despite the name component PELLE, this scent is even 100% free of sausage casing in my overly sensitive nose (with kosher and halal certification, personally from the Pope).

[Postscript on December 15: Thank you, Otherwise, for the useful historical addition. Interesting, then, that the fragrance direction is clearly named after leather in German and English, while the French and Italians do not say cuir or cuoio, but have chosen a word whose meaning fluctuates between leather and skin. I noticed this while testing, but forgot to include it in the comment, that this scent also acts like a - male-tinged - haute signature scent enhancer, and less like a pronounced foreign perfume. In this respect, everything fits together quite harmoniously!]