Acqua di Parma: La Caletta and bergamot from the sponge
Acqua di Parma has teamed up with interior architect Laura Gonzalez for Summer 2026. The result is La Caletta, a collection that celebrates craftsmanship, design and the Italian art of living of the house. One detail stands out for anyone who reads ingredient stories closely: the Bergamotto La Spugnatura Eau de Parfum, whose bergamot oil is extracted by hand using an ancestral Calabrian method.
A hidden place, not a postcard
For this collection Laura Gonzalez takes up the universe of Blu Mediterraneo, a line by Acqua di Parma, and reads it through the spirit of La Caletta: elegant and independent. Coral, rock formations, the sea and light served as inspiration. They turn into sculptural silhouettes and graphic patterns that run through the entire collection, from the Acropora candle to the bottle caps and labels.
“La Caletta was born from the idea of a hidden place,” says Laura Gonzalez. She describes a more intimate Italy than the one on postcards: a quiet rocky ledge where the sea meets the stone softly, a summer about independence, your own rhythm and elegance in restraint.
Spugnatura: bergamot from the sponge
At the heart of the collaboration is the Bergamotto La Spugnatura Eau de Parfum. Its name refers to the method: in spugnatura the bergamot oil is extracted from the peels by hand, using a sponge. The technique comes from Calabria and is preserved by only a handful of artisans.
According to the house, the process gives the fragrance exceptional intensity and vibrant nuances. Bergamot is a citrus fruit, and its oil carries the fresh note in many fragrances. Regardless of this particular perfume, one simple rule applies to citrus notes in summer: do not spray them on skin just before sunbathing, because some citrus oils can make the skin more sensitive to light.
Craft as the common thread
A fragrance house inviting an interior architect fits its own outlook. In the words of the house, the meeting of creativity and craft has been at the heart of Acqua di Parma’s identity since 1916. La Caletta carries that outlook into a summer meant to feel personal rather than demonstrative, with a candle for the room and a fragrance for the skin.
In everyday terms, the collection is more an invitation to slow down than a new step for a daily care routine. If you like bergamot, the Eau de Parfum is worth trying; if you like to scent a room, take a look at the Acropora candle.
What remains open
Details on prices, bottle sizes and the availability of individual pieces in specific markets were not available to the editors at the time of writing.
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