Conférence : Histoire des parfums

by Margaux HOFSTEDT professor and graduate of the International Institute of Perfumes and Food Flavors. The power of odors has captivated the human mind since ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, through the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the Modern Era. The first function of perfume was to establish a link between men and their Gods. Egyptian priests, the first perfumers, composed fragrances not only to obtain divine protection but to allow the deceased, through embalming practices, to become in turn, “Perfumed Ones”, gods and thus access a second life. If the Greeks developed new scents, the Romans turned to the use of odorous compounds for medicinal purposes. Middle Ages, Renaissance, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, perfume accompanies the changes in society.

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