Leonardo da Vinci and the Perfumes of the Renaissance

Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli, Santa Maria Maddalena. Civic Museums of the Visconti Castle, Pavia © Musei Civici del Castello Visconteo, Pavia.

Leonardo da Vinci and the Perfumes of the Renaissance sets out to create an olfactory and immersive journey into the world of Renaissance perfumes, following the intertwined destinies of Leonardo da Vinci and his mother Caterina. This journey introduces you to Leonardo's experiences and discoveries in the art of perfumery, unveiling his research on the sense of smell, his new scientific methods such as maceration and distillation, as well as his own perfume recipes.

The journey begins with the incense and spices of Constantinople, continues through the elegantly scented courts of Venice, Florence, and Milan, and ends in Amboise at the court of Francis I. The exhibition also includes drawings by Leonardo of an alembic and that of an asphodel from the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan, as well as paintings by Boltrafio, Giampietrino, Luini, and others from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, and the Borghese Gallery in Rome. These are displayed alongside shirts from the Museum of Textile in Prato, a statue of Mary Magdalene from the Cluny Museum, and a precious pomander loaned by the National Museum of the Renaissance in Écouen. Discover the necklace from "Lady with an Ermine" and the bird of Cyprus, reproduced from Leonardo’s drawings, as well as one of his alembics.

Inspired by the paintings and objects on display, the compositions reconstructed from Renaissance recipes, interpreted or sometimes evoked, transport you to the heart of the sensory world of that era. You are invited to smell the powerful scent of civet or musk, the delicate scent of rose, as well as aloe, jasmine, labdanum, and more. This olfactory experience is made possible through the collaboration between historians and perfumers from the Givaudan company.