Doch die Biografie des berühmtesten Duftes der Welt reicht bis in die Renaissance zurück. Tilar Mazzeo schreibt, dass
die Bohème-Dame Misia Sert im Winter 1918 aufgeregt zu ihrer Freundin Coco geeilt sei, um ihr von einem
sensationellen Fund zu berichten: In der alten Bibliothek eines Loire-Schlosses sei die Formel eines verloren geglaubten
„Wunderparfums“ der Medici-Königinnen aufgetaucht. Die einstige Besitzerin der Formel soll Katharina von Medicis
Cousine Marie gewesen sein, diese gilt als Begründerin der französischen Parfumindustrie und hat Grasse zu deren
Zentrum aufgebaut. Hier, nördlich von Cannes, wurden dann auch die Rosen- und Jasmindüfte für N°5 gewonnen, und
noch später hinterließ hier Patrick Süskinds Held seine Blutspur.
René le Florentin (Renato Bianco), war als „Mitgift“ Katharina di Medicis nach Frankreich an den Hofe Henri II
gekommen. Er gilt als erster großer europäischer Parfumeur.
When she left Italy to marry Henri, Duc d’Orlean, she took with her many artists, poets and dancing masters, and even
her own perfumer, Rene de Florentin. Catherine is credited with introducing a new age of even greater elegance to the
already very chic French.
As well as perfume, she brought the habit of eating with a fork, the high-heeled shoe, corsets, ballet and even Italian
cooking to her new Court.
The word “Perfume” has its origins in the Latin “per-fumum” meaning “through smoke.” The Egyptians created
aromatic perfumes from burning scented wood. The Arabs introduced scents to the Italians, and the Medici family
commissioned perfumes from nearby apothecaries.
Rene de Florentin had his own laboratory which Catherine visited by using a secret passage, in order to prevent the
recipes for the scents being stolen. According to legend, Catherine created jewelry containing poisonous potions which
she used to murder her many enemies. Florentin created his famous scented gloves to cover this smell. The real reason
is probably that Catherine disliked the smell of her leather gloves and wanted to mask the smell. Catherine, according
to the website Opera Gloves.com, had beautiful hands and loved to wear opera gloves. After she introduced the
practice of wearing the scented gloves, noble lords wanted to buy all sorts of scented garments, such as waistcoats,
doublets, belts and even leather shoes. Grasse, a renowned centre of the leather industry, began to supply these as
well as the very fashionable scented gloves.
https://www.lifeinitaly.com/beauty/perfume-catherine-de-medici
Medici-Chanel 5