Portrait


The Merchant of Venice or the Art of Perfume in Venice

Venice, La Serenissima, Piazza San Marco, the Grand Canal, its islands, lace makers, glassworks, masked ball, famous lovers and gastronomy ... but today, focus on the Venetian Art of Perfume.


The Merchant of Venice is a very high-end perfume brand that originates from the roots and soul of Venice. It consists of several varieties of products inspired by the ancestral traditions of the Republic of Venice and its centuries-old maritime rare essences and spices trade with the Orient. The Merchant of Venice brings to life the Art of Perfume in all its facets.

The Perfume Museum



But to understand the origins of The Merchant of Venice, we must go back in time. The brand started with the creation of the Perfume Museum, accredited by the "Venetian perfume company" and the "Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia". Housed in a magnificent 16th century building, the Mocénigo Palace owes its enchanting staging to the Milanese scenographer and costume designer Pier Luigi Pizzi. For 2 hours, we visit several rooms where sumptuous works of art coexist with more didactic spaces, intensifying our senses, while the history of Perfume takes us on the roads of the Republic of Venice. Among the precious objects, there is an extraordinary work which is the first treaty on the Art of Perfume published in 1555 and reprinted today.

Campo San Fantin, a former pharmacy becomes the flasghip store of The Merchant of Venice



Our morning walk takes us to Campo San Fantin, right in the heart of Venice, in front of a magnificent 17th century pharmacy. An historic site, if any, since we are also just a few steps from the famous La Fenice Opera House. Transformed in 1846 by the architect Giambattista Meduna, this apothecary has been renovated and has regained its original splendor : flamboyant gothic architecture, walnut woodwork and terracotta colorr. To complete the decoration, four large statues of the sculptor Pietro Zandomeneghi enthroned in niches, greet the visitors as soon as they enter the shop. They embody Botany, Medicine, Surgery and Physics.
In the shop our eyes are attracted to a collection of colored Murano glass bottles that illustrate the craftsmanship of the glass masters of this island nearby Venice. The Murano Collection is made up of 6 fragrances : Flower Fusion (floral bouquet), Byzantium Saffron (inspired by Greek mythology), Noble Potion (sandalwood and cedar), Mandarin Carnival (an homage to Sicily), Suave Petals (peach blossoms) and Asian Inspirations (fruits and spices). But then you can also take home their delicious bath line.

Rosa Moncéniga : a tribute to the history of the Mocénigo Family



This rose, offered to Lucia Mocénigo by Joséphine Bonaparte who cultivated this delicate flower in the gardens of La Malmaison, already fourishes for over 200 years in Alvisopoli, close to Venice. As a tribute to the Mocénigo family, the writer Andréa di Robilant (great, great, great-grandson of Lucia) decided to tell the story, imagined as a journey, of the “Moncéniga”, this "pink and fruity" rose in his book "Chasing the Rose".

La Fenice : an ode to the famous Venetian theatre



And to finish in beauty, The Merchant of Venice has imagined two additional perfumes, one for women, the other for men. Designed in the colors of the famous theatre, gold and sky blue, these two La Fenice bottles perfectly embody the DNA of the brand and the magic of one of the most cultural and illustrious places in the whole world.
Janvier 2018