France: ‘Perfumer’s Garden’ opened at Versailles to highlight scent history of palace

The establishment of the new garden that houses hundreds of different perfume-making plants.

By Mindfood
Style
May 29, 2023

Excerpt:

The area is said to bring together hundreds of flowering species: traditional plants (rose, jasmine), essences that exude unexpected aromas (chocolate, apple), odorous species, and “mute” or silent flowers, such as hyacinth, peony, and violet, which release no extract that can be used in perfumery, despite having a clearly identifiable smell. As a result, perfumers are forced to replicate their scents synthetically.

The garden is composed of three areas with clearly defined identities: “The garden of curiosities” in front of the Orangerie gathering most of the floral essences, “Under the trees” with its blossomed walkway of Japanese cherry trees, and “The secret garden” with an intimate atmosphere. A number of tours and workshops will be available to the help reveal the fragrant history of the area.

Among that history, according to a press release, in the 17th century, just as Louis XIV had commissioned work on the Trianon de Porcelaine — replaced by the Trianon de Marbre in 1687 — flowers were in fashion, and the Trianon gardens were flooded with heady, fragrant floral plants: jasmine, tuberose, and hyacinth. The gardens were set up with a nursery system that ensured they bloomed all year round. Alongside this, fragrance was taking off at the court of Versailles, with the palace becoming the cradle of perfume-making craft and artistry from the late 17th century on. The master perfumers here strove to provide sovereigns and courtiers alike with ever more sophisticated products, from fragrances and sachets to scented gloves and fans.

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