The company's original fragrance, Colonia, was created in 1916 in a small perfume factory in the center of Parma's historic old town.
At the time, the majority of commercial perfumes were much stronger and heavier in composition; so the unusually light and refreshing fragrance from Parma found wide success in Europe.
In the 1930s the increasing popularity of the cologne led to an increase in production and the development of its distribution. The thirties and fifties are described as a 'golden age' for Acqua di Parma Colonia, which became very successful among members of high society, with celebrity clientele.
Over the years, the brand expanded its product range, introducing feminine fragrances, Mediterranean-inspired home fragrances, a home collection that includes bathrobes and towels, and premium hand-crafted leather goods.
In 1998 Acqua di Parma opened its first boutique on Milan's Via del Gesù (in the Quadrilatero della moda district), followed by Paris’s Rue des Francs Bourgeois in Le Marais in 2012 and Rome’s Piazza di Spagna in 2014.
In May 2008 the company entered the luxury spa market with the Blu Mediterraneo Spa in Porto Cervo (Sardinia). In 2013 the company opened its second spa at the Gritti Palace in Venice.
In 2013, the company launched La Nobiltà del Fare (“The Nobility of Work”), a book focusing on stories of Italian arts and crafts excellence, featuring photography by Giovanni Gastel.