A Perfume
Heaven in
Barcelona
By Inka Piegas-Quischotte
Perfumes in Basilica Gallery
BELOW
Objets d’art
B
arcelona’s Gothic Quarter is
a maze of small squares and
narrow, sometimes cobbled,
streets. Stretching between
the Ramblas de Catalunya and
Via Laetana, dominated by the
cathedral and a basilica, the Gothic
Quarter is a treasure trove for any
visitor who seeks extraordinary
shops, exquisitely designed clothes,
bespoke wicker furniture, colorful
costume jewelry and just about
everything else that smells of
individuality and luxury.
And talking about smells: On my
recent week-long trip to Barcelona, I
was rather aimlessly ambling around
Plaza del Pi, looking at the paintings
of artists who exhibit their works
there at weekends. Turning into a
narrow street called Calle Sant
Sever, I caught a whiff of exquisite
perfume. As it turned out, the
enticing scent emanated from the
open door of a shop called La Basilica
Galeria Perfume.
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As the name indicates, it’s an art
gallery cum perfume shop close to
the Basilica del Pi. My nose had
already led me there and now my
eyes were caught by the stunning
display of a nearly life size sculpture
in the window, with a dress made
entirely from rose petals. Art and
perfume combined demanded further
investigation.
I was lucky as there were only two
other customers when I entered, so
I seized the opportunity to talk to
the charming assistant and asked
her to explain the nature of this
fabulous shop.
There appear to be three owners,
each one an artist with a different
specialty. One is a sculptor and the
creator of not only the ‘rose lady,’
but also several other works of art
in the same vain. The assistant
proudly explained that these
sculptures play a prominent part in
the famous flower festival which is