Museo del Risorgimento - Advertising card for Felsina water

Advertising card for Felsina water from the Pietro Bortolotti company of Bologna. In 1827, Pietro Bortolotti, a man with a deep love for his city, named his patented perfume "Felsina," the Etruscan name for Bologna. This "miraculous remedy" against illness and ailments was used in 1835 to combat the cholera epidemic in Genoa. Approved by the Health Commission of the time, the product spread throughout Europe. The company then expanded its offerings to include a variety of other body care and beauty products. After Bortolotti's death in 1860, the recipe was passed down to his heirs and continued to be produced in Bologna until after World War II.