Mediterraneum
Versace (1993)

Just received the gift set a body tonic , 1.7 splash EDT and 3.3oz of aftershave..all I can say is wow the drydown is beautiful , it's discontinued but yet it's still got it's juice in it..I was worried that the bottle I bought turned , but when I dabbed the juice on me I was back in 1993 when I first bought it well my father bought it for me .I'm pretty Amazed how well this cologne is good after all these years ..I'm hunting down a spray bottle of this also , it can bought pretty cheap still on ebay

Stardate 20180302:

Proteo Profumi made a great fragrance called Pandora Pour Homme and was branded under J Casanova. It did not do well so they rebranded it a few years later as Mediterraneum.
Same fragrance and same bottle (different color cap - Maroon vs Blue)
Coming to fragrance - a masterpiece. This one links Balenciaga PH to YSL M7.
They both had oud (synthetic or otherwise) and so I am assuming it has some too.
It is an orientalish fougerish fragrance.

Dated but nonetheless viable relic of a cologne that apparently had switched hands between companies (settling with Versace to the present day).

Mediterraneum does have a fairly pleasant aromatic fougere quality to it, better reflected in Opium by YSL, IMO; but by today's standards, it seems fit for nostalgic wearers only. Requisite elements of orange citrus. florals, herbs, spices, woods, and musky-amber are present.

The sensation is fairly heavy from spray-on and forward. Doesn't smell cheap, just antiquated.

Mediterraneum is a pleasant light green semi-oriental creation (initially launched by Proteo Profumi and later branded by Versace), a pleasant fragrance di per se but something surely unoriginal since it is pratically a lighter more "anosmic making" version of the original "antecedent" masterpiece Romeo Gigli Uomo by Gigli (being Mediterraneum substantially an unsuccessful derogatory Gigli Uomo's photocopy-attempt). A common foundation on a vast array of identical floral-hesperidic-spicy-herbal-oriantal notes as aldehydes, bergamot, lemon, mandarin, terragon, lavender, jasmine, rose, carnation, cinnamon, fir, labdanum, benzoin, oakmoss, styrax, musk, amber, patchouli, tonka, vanilla, sandalwood etc. etc. creates a basic common spicy-boise aroma which is anyway in this case less articulated, durable and elegant. Gigli is indeed more complex, well rounded, mossy-boise and structured (with a more massive spicy presence and a further presence of structuring notes as rosewood, cedarwood, honey, ripe fruity notes as plums, grapefruits and rosewood). Whilst Gigli is more oriental, resinous, romantic, multicolored, musky and woody, Mediterraneum is dustier, breezier (more hesperidic) and soapier. I get the spicy association of cinnamon, cloves, amber and greens but it is not so warm and exotic while more space is in here reserved to light greens, orange (citrus more in general), woodsy notes of mountain and florals (with the addition of geranium and ferns). A nice aromatic green juice anyway pleasant and easy to wear.

To my knowledge this is not a Versace product. I bought this and couldn't have been more disappointed. Very heavy opening and it stays that way.

This opening blast is very well done; a mix of bergamot, orange and tarragon with an aldehydic undercurrent that holds them together very nicely. This is not a full-in-your-face opening blast; it is a tad muted but nonetheless a lovely summery mix of top notes.

The drydown continues the traditional pathway with the emergence a moderately sweet vanilla and never really moves into the foreground on my skin, and is complemented by the addition of a pleasant jasmine. This is mingled with a floral mélange of geranium band carnation, and this floral character defines the heart notes well.

Already gradually developing in the middle phase, woody and ambery styrax notes move into the fore in the base, and entail a shift into the darker and edgier sphere, underlines by a darker but not-too-harsh patchouli impression. At that stage it starts losing intensity and richness, and the base peters out slowly. Nonetheless, this base shift towards the darker region makes this an overall more somber creation; a characteristic it shares with Versus.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and seven hours of longevity on my skin.

Very nice on cooler summer days, and composed of high-quality ingredients without ever being too generic. 3.5/5.