On October 31st was inaugurated the renovated Palazzo Mocenigo museum dedicated to the Venetian fashion and textiles with the new section dedicated to perfume.
After 9 months of restoration and recovery and with the upgrade of the new area dedicated to venetian perfumery, the museum has returned to its former glory; the Palazzo Mocenigo is part of the Foundation of the Civic Museums of Venice.
The work of restoration of the palace and the museum spaces has been exemplary, conducted with skill, the rooms have been enhanced with a clever work of recovery and restoration of all environments, furniture and tapestry.
After 9 months of restoration and recovery and with the upgrade of the new area dedicated to venetian perfumery, the museum has returned to its former glory; the Palazzo Mocenigo is part of the Foundation of the Civic Museums of Venice.
The work of restoration of the palace and the museum spaces has been exemplary, conducted with skill, the rooms have been enhanced with a clever work of recovery and restoration of all environments, furniture and tapestry.
The history of fashion and costume of Venice at the time of its greatest splendor is shown through the use of mannequins wearing dresses and precious antique accessories.
The walls adorned with paintings having as main theme the history of the Mocenigo family, all recovered and made available by other Venetian museums that are part of the Foundation.
The new section dedicated to scent occupies 5 rooms, designed in collaboration with Parfums Mavive, historic Venetian company owned by the Vidal family, active since more than 100 years in the field of perfumery and cosmetics .
So, there is the reproduction of the laboratory of a perfumer of the time, the muschiere, name given by the fact that the animal musk was a major component for the old recipes and then heavily marketed and used.
Are also shown some raw materials and tools of the trade; heads on a wall there is the map of the sea trade routes of the spices and raw materials used by the Republic of Venice, the so-called Mude: You can go through with the nose in these routes with the aid of special smelling stations; it is showcasing a part of the famous Storp collection of bottles for perfumery (the Storp family is the owner of the DROM Fragrances perfumery company, which granted long-term storage of the collection)
and the room of the fragrances families where you can experience different raw materials for each of the fragrances families.
The future project plans for 2014 is the expansion of the exhibition spaces dedicated to perfumery and the creation of permanent laboratories of training and dissemination through workshops and initiation of short intensive courses of study open to all people interested in the world of perfume.
The current perfumery exhibition is especially interesting for those who want to understand more about the role of the Venetian Republic in the use and the spread of essences imported especially from the Middle East and Asia: the book "Notandissimi segreti dell'arte profumatoria" (the noble secrets of the perfumery art) written in Venice in 1555 by Giovanvetura Rossetti is a clear statement of the flourish of perfumes, cosmetics and make-up in Venice of 500 century.
The Vidal family has minded a new edition of the famous book with explanations and insights.
It was also presented the new line of fragrances created for the occasion, "the Merchant of Venice ", which comprises 7 fragrances , modern reinterpretation of the most important raw materials transported through the Mude and popular in Venice .
The museum is open to the public from November 1st