Ortigia Sicilia Bath Salts - Fico d'India

Ortigia Sicilia bath salts in Fico d'India — 500g of 100% Sicilian sea salt, naturally perfumed. A modern revival of an ancient tradition: a handful dissolved in the bath makes the water noticeably soft and carries the fresh fragrance of fig and cedar through the room.

Fico d'India is Ortigia's signature scent, drawn from the wild Sicilian prickly pear — green and powdery rather than sweet, with fig leaf over cedar. In the bath it reads clean and restorative rather than perfumed, which is why it suits tender skin and tired limbs.

The salt itself is harvested in Sicily. All Ortigia products are made by small family companies that pride themselves on the quality of their work, and the decorative packaging is designed by Sue Townsend, drawing on exotic Sicilian images and colours.

Size: 500g
Material: 100% Sicilian sea salt with natural perfume
Made in: Italy
Brand: Ortigia Sicilia
Fragrance: Fico d'India — Sicilian prickly pear, fig and cedar
Use: Dissolve a handful in a warm bath
Care: Keep the container closed and dry
Sold as: Individual, in Ortigia Sicilia packaging

How much do I use per bath?
A handful is enough to soften the water and carry the scent. 500g gives you many baths.

What does Fico d'India smell like?
Green and powdery rather than sweet — fig leaf and prickly pear over cedar. It's Ortigia's best-known scent and reads as unisex.

Is it actually Sicilian salt?
Yes — 100% Sicilian sea salt, perfumed naturally.

Will it leave a residue in the tub?
It's sea salt, so it dissolves. Rinse the tub as you normally would.

Can I match it with other Fico d'India products?
Yes — Biordi carries the fragrance as soap, hand cream, hand and body wash, roll-on perfume, and candles.

Where is it made?
In Italy, by Ortigia Sicilia — founded in Sicily in 2006 by Sue Townsend.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Better as a shower, bridesmaid, or thank-you gift than a registry piece — it's a consumable Italian luxury rather than an heirloom. For the wedding itself, Biordi's hand-painted Deruta ceramics and Murano glass are the stronger choice. We ship nationwide and gift-wrap on request.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes — particularly for someone moving into a place with a real bathtub. Arrives ready to give. Add Florentine gift wrap at checkout if you'd like it sent finished.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics and gifts since 1946. Voted Best Overall Retailer in the San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay readers' poll for five consecutive years. Designated a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029), and the city declared May 1 "Biordi Art Imports Day" in 2021. Every piece comes from a named Italian artisan, family workshop, or heritage house we work with directly — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone (from the famous Palermo ceramic family — her father painted with Picasso), Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati. Not a stock-photo listing, not a mass-produced import, not a reproduction.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Customization and personalization are available on select pieces. Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, Geribi, and CF Deruta accept special orders — a name, date, or occasion painted on the piece, or a different size or shape in the workshop's existing pattern. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.

Fico d'India — the prickly pear that grows wild across Sicily, and the fragrance that made Ortigia's name. Green, powdery and citrus-lifted, it appears across the full range from soap to perfume.

Ortigia Sicilia — Siracusa, Sicily — a privately owned Italian soap and scent company founded in Sicily in 2006 by Sue Townsend. The range is formulated using natural products indigenous to Sicily and inspired by the aesthetics, colours and scents of Italy's most historic and tropical region. All Ortigia products are made by small family companies; the decorative packaging is designed by Sue Townsend.

The name Ortigia comes from the small island at the edge of the ancient fortified city of Siracusa, on Sicily's southeastern coast. The streets of Ortigia are crumbling baroque façades of great splendour looking out on three sides to the sea, and the Piazza del Duomo is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. This part of the island is known as "la Sicilia Orientale" for its proximity to Africa and almost tropical climate.

Sicily carries a colourful history of conquest, invasion and assimilation — Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese and Bourbons all left their mark. That layered culture inspired the creation of the Ortigia range.

Italian ceramics are heirloom quality products, and can last lifetime with proper care. We have some suggestions that will preserve your majolica for years to come.

Majolica is dishwasher safe, but many people choose to hand wash their pieces as a precaution. Because majolica is a porous material, some pieces are not meant to hold liquid for a long period of time. Check for warning labels before ordering a product, as the pieces that are most notorious for "sweating" are appropriately labeled.

Majolica is sensitive to extreme temperatures, specifically boiling or freezing liquids. Pouring water with a rolling boil directly into a teapot, for example, may lead to breakage. To avoid this, temper the object. The industry standard is 620 degrees Celsius (1,148 degrees Fahrenheit). Quench the glass to cool it.

Crazing is common in well used majolica. The tiny cracks in the glaze do not affect the functionality of your majolica.

Majolica hand-crafted products should not be microwaved, as it may crack and/or break the ceramics.

UPS Ground

Flat shipping charge of $10 for each shipment of merchandise under $100.00. For orders of $100.00 or more, shipping is 10% of the order total.

UPS Next Day Air

Flat shipping charge of $63 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 90% of the order total.

UPS 2-Day Priority (Rush Shipping)

Flat shipping charge of $42 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 60% of the order total. Note: This option is required for shipping to Alaska and Hawaii.

USPS 3-Day Priority

Flat shipping charge of $21 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 30% of the order total.

International Shipments

Please contact us at customerservice@biordi.com or call us at (415) 392-8096 for quotes to ship internationally.

You will be charged a rate based on your delivery area, value and shipping preference. For items shipped via UPS, see below for information pricing information. Once the package is shipped, you will receive an email with tracking information to track your package.