Francesca Bianchi Perfumes
The Black Knight 
Extrait de Parfum 30 ml
 
Accords: woody (vetiver), aromatic, smoky, powdery
Mood: gothic, intense, sophisticated
 
Renaissance captain Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere, together with his loyalty, spartan lifestyle, and moral commitment inspired this creation.  Imagine the smell of a military camp: the sweetness of wild shrubs, the smoke of the campfire, the smell of leather horse tacks. A powdery rose – symbolizing his secret mistress – rounds up an intense core of vetiver, the great protagonist of this perfume.
 
Notes
Artemisia, caraway, honey, bulgarian rose, narcissus, iris butter, beeswax, cederwood, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, leather.
 
This is an Extrait de Parfum, so use sparingly as the concentration is 25%. It has great longevity (an average of 12h). 
 
The inspiration behind The Black Knight 
 
The Black Knight is a gothic, intense, sophisticated perfume inspired by the historical character Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere (John of the Black Bands), an Italian condottiero (mercenary captain) of the Renaissance who belonged to the glorious Medici family. 
 
I was charmed by this character for his stoic commitment to his cause, his loyalty, and his Spartan way of life – despite his noble origins. 
 
The perfume tries to depict the atmosphere of a military camp, starting with the smell of wild shrubs, then the smoke of camp fire and the odor of horse tacks. 
 
The evolution then delves deeper into the soul of this stern character, revealing the presence of a secret mistress, with a powdery rose rounding up the deep core made of vetiver. 
 
I didn’t add any typical animalistic note as the intensity of Vetiver, together with the smokiness of leather, already carried it through. 
 
I wanted to combine both the uncompromising and the human aspects of this fascinating character in a dark, medieval, meditative scent.