Cologne

Cologne (Köln) was founded by the Romans in 50 AD. There’s evidence that it was settled by a Ubii tribe as far back as 38 BC. Today it is a mix of old and new due in part to its near destruction (95%) during World War II. Luckily, the Cologne Cathedral was not destroyed but did suffer damage.

Cologne’s Gothic cathedral was begun around 1248 and took almost 7 centuries to be completed. It was constructed to house the Shrine of the Three Magi, a reliquary traditionally believed to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi. The golden sarcophagus is made of wood, covered with gold and silver, and decorated with more than a thousand jewels and beads. During the middle ages, there were over 300 churches in Cologne, and it became a place of pilgrimage. Today over 20,000 people visit the Cologne Cathedral daily.

Eau de cologne gets its name from this city where it was developed by Johann Farina in 1709. He wanted a name that sounded French and honored his hometown. It is now used as a generic name for perfumes. Farina Eau de Cologne is still sold today. The three of us bought some.Leggi altro