Fragrance comparison

The Pope's Cologne vs Aqua di Ponza

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 6 ratings analysed

The Pope's Cologne

Excelsis

4.673 votes

Rank #33,988 CitrusViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Aqua di Ponza

4.673 votes

Rank #39,056 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Aqua di Ponza takes 2 of 3 categories.

The Pope's Cologne
Choose it for a citrus and violet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Aqua di Ponza
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

The Pope's Cologne1/3

Aqua di Ponza2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Aqua di Ponza
Sillage & projection: Aqua di Ponza
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Pope's Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

The Pope's CologneExcelsis

Aqua di PonzaAqua di Ponza

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 8%Had 8%Want 83%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityAqua di Ponza

SillageAqua di Ponza

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

violet86%

powdery72%

white floral58%

sweet44%

fresh30%

white floral100%

floral91%

fresh83%

warm spicy74%

citrus65%

powdery56%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both citrus, white floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

VioletOrange BlossomOrangeLemon VerbenaCitrusesClove

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CitrusesCyclamenOrange Blossom

Heart

Floral NotesSpicesClovesVioletJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base

AmberWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesViolet, Orange Blossom and Citruses. Durations are only published for The Pope's Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,988

PerfumerFrederick Hass

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#39,056

PerfumerAndrea Marcoccia

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerThe Pope's CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Pope's Cologne by Excelsis delivers a crisp, time-tested splash of bright citrus, juicy orange, and tangy lemon verbena that immediately wakes up the senses. As the sparkling opening settles, sweet orange blossom and a hint of warm clove add body before resolving into a soft, powdery violet dry-down. It smells lik…

Reviews →

Aqua di Ponza opens with tart citruses, crisp cyclamen, and green orange blossom before relaxing into a clean jasmine and lily-of-the-valley core. Warm cloves and soft violet add a light spicy bite on skin. Built for warm summer mornings, it dries down into smooth amber and white musk that sits close to the skin durin…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, The Pope's Cologne or Aqua di Ponza?

Aqua di Ponza takes 2 of 3 categories. The Pope's Cologne is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Aqua di Ponza is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose The Pope's Cologne for a citrus and violet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Aqua di Ponza for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, The Pope's Cologne or Aqua di Ponza?

Aqua di Ponza lasts longest (Aqua di Ponza 100/100, The Pope's Cologne 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Pope's Cologne or Aqua di Ponza?

Aqua di Ponza projects furthest (Aqua di Ponza 100/100, The Pope's Cologne 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Pope's Cologne and Aqua di Ponza smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Violet, Orange Blossom and Citruses.

Is The Pope's Cologne or Aqua di Ponza better for summer or winter?

The Pope's Cologne suits daytime wear; Aqua di Ponza suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Pope's Cologne and Aqua di Ponza?

The Pope's Cologne features Violet, Orange Blossom, Orange, Lemon Verbena and Citruses. Aqua di Ponza has top notes of Citruses, Cyclamen and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Floral Notes, Spices, Cloves and Violet, a base of Amber and White Musk.