Round glass flask with a woven fabric cover and a metal stopper. Circa 1878. Johann Maria Farina was an Italian-born perfumier who created the first Cologne. Born Giovanni Maria Farina (December 8, 1685) his name was Germanized to Johann Maria Farina when he moved to Cologne, Germany in 1709. In Cologne, he sold his original perfume fragrance and called it "Eau de Cologne" (lit. French: "Water of Cologne") in honor of his adopted home. As Farina described his Cologne, "I have discovered a scent that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain." Although Farina died in Cologne on November 25, 1766, the 8th generation of the Farina family still produces the original Eau de Cologne.