A journey through the most iconic ingredients of perfumery, some of which have already been described in the ancient botanical manuscripts of the era of the Serenissima, set up on the ground floor of Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice until November 27, 2022.

The Accordi di Profumo exhibition was born, in fact, from the collaboration between The Merchant of Venice, a high perfumery brand that celebrates the Venetian perfumery art, and Givaudan, a world leader in the production of essences. With its homonymous Foundation, the company created the Sourcing4Good project aimed at promoting the use of sustainable raw materials of the highest quality through the direct support of the small communities that produce the finest essences in the world.

Accordi is one of the most innovative and truly sustainable projects being offered today in the field of international perfumery.

(Marco Vidal, CEO The Merchant of Venice)

A mission that in the exhibition joins that of The Merchant of Venice to enhance the fascinating history of the medieval “Mude”, the naval caravans that left Venice to reach distant ports; an exchange system that allowed the Serenissima to market the precious raw materials used for perfumes and which, through its skilled craftsmen, made Venetian cosmetics the most coveted in all the European courts of the time.

Few know, in fact, that in its period of maximum expansion, during the sixteenth century, the dominion of the Serenissima extended west to Crema in Lombardy, east to Cyprus, now part of Greece, and north to Cadore. It was during the 1500s that its perfume industry, thanks to trade, also grew considerably, so much so that the first alcohol-based perfumes for personal use were created in Italy.

Accordi offers 8 fragrances divided according to the 4 main olfactory families: fresh citrus fruits with Bergamot from Italy and Orange from Brazil, delicate floral Tuberosa from India and Neroli from Morocco, warm amber Tonka from Venezuela and Saffron of Iran, up to the deep woody woods of Patchouli from Indonesia and Sandalwood from Australia.

Ancient ingredients that have made the history of perfume, some of which are mentioned in the ancient manuscripts of perfumery and botany of the era of the Serenissima, of which the Accordi line guarantees the traceability of their origin, the sustenance of the communities of local growers and the protection of the environments in which they are born.

“Monothematic” fragrances that are designed to be combined with each other or with other perfumes as true connoisseurs love to do.

At the same time as the Palazzo Mocenigo exhibition, to continue Accordi’s journey you can visit the Visual Immersive Experience set up at Bottega Cini. The video olfactory experience will lead you to the heart of the collection, to discovery, for example, Neroli. The essential oil extracted from the buds of bitter orange flowers, harvested by hand from March to April in North Africa and in particular in Morocco, apparently owes its name to Nerola, an Italian princess who lived in Nerola in the seventeenth century.

And where does the perfume you wear come from?

Useful Info

Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo
Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto, del Costume e del Profumo
Santa Croce 1992
30135 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 721798

Bottega Cini
Dorsoduro 862
30123 Venezia
info@bottegacini.it