When at the end of World War II,
Celestino Durante returns from conflict’s vicissitudes bearing physical recalls
of his actions and roams through those road bends to embrace Father Giuseppe
and Mother Lucia; the suburb he had departed from still consisted of 2500
people. The hard work of taking care of the land and a few cattle were and
still are the only economic resources of the community of Sant’Elena.
Nonetheless, many of those boys were very skilled.

Whatever they handled , from
scissors to knives and any type of razor or blade, turned as good as new.
Celestino gathered his few possessions and together with his newly become wife,
decided to leave and go to Rome. Many others followed. Each on one’s way and
pursuing his own dreams. Every one with a bicycle equipped at best. Luckier
ones with a scooter, all moving far and wide through the city.

Quite soon the guys of Sant’Elena
managed to manifest their talent. As time passed, sacrifices turned bicycles
into shops. In the latter, together with the beloved grinding wheel stored in
the back shop, they start exposing shaving soap sold by weight, hair lotions
and some colognes. Years pass and the names of those guys embellish the most
beautiful streets of Rome.

The knife grinders from Sant’Elena
are now among the most important perfume makers of the Eternal City. Celestino
and Luisa are now grandparents and leave Giuseppe, Luciano, Maria and Felice
the possibility of doing on their own and of achieving what they believe in.
Commerce evolved, together with perfumery market. Globalization and
standardization encumbered. The Durante siblings are no longer at their ease in
such a context.

They feel manipulated and no longer
free in their own work. In 1996 they create “PRO-FUMUM ROMA” but this is a
different story… What you are now holding in your hands is a fragment of this
story. If you visit Sant’Elena, and walk past the big bronze statue resembling
a knife grinder, please stop for a while. There the roots of Durante family.