Chapter 3: The Sun King's Scented Court

If Catherine de' Medici introduced sophisticated perfumery to France, Louis XIV transformed it into a national obsession. The Sun King's court at Versailles was, quite literally, drenched in perfume. Fountains sprayed orange blossom water, furniture was crafted from scented woods, and nobles competed to create ever more elaborate personal fragrances.

Louis himself reportedly used a different perfume each day, and his mistresses were identified by their signature scents. Madame de Montespan favored a heavy musk and amber blend, while Louise de La Vallière preferred delicate violet. The king's perfumer, referred to in court documents as "Maître parfumeur du Roi," held a position of considerable prestige and influence.

The Perfumed Profession

Under Louis XIV, perfumery evolved from craft to profession. The king established strict guild regulations, apprenticeship requirements, and quality standards. Perfumers were required to complete a seven-year apprenticeship, create a "masterpiece" fragrance judged by guild members, and swear an oath to protect trade secrets.

These regulations, while ensuring quality, also created barriers that excluded many talented individuals. Women, despite their historical involvement in perfumery, were officially barred from guild membership, though many continued to practice the art unofficially. Marie-Anne Dufour, widow of a guild perfumer, successfully petitioned the king for the right to continue her husband's business, setting a precedent that other widows would follow.

Grasse Ascending

During Louis XIV's reign, Grasse completed its transformation from leather-tanning town to perfume capital. The city's unique microclimate—protected from harsh winds by the Alps but open to Mediterranean warmth—proved ideal for cultivating jasmine, roses, and other fragrant flowers.

The jasmine fields of Grasse became legendary, with the variety grown there (Jasminum grandiflorum) producing a scent considered superior to jasmine grown anywhere else in the world. Local families developed proprietary cultivation and extraction techniques passed down through generations. The Mul family, still operating in Grasse today, traces their jasmine cultivation back to 1680.

The Dark Side of Luxury

The expansion of French perfumery under Louis XIV had a darker side often glossed over in romantic histories. The exotic ingredients demanded by the court—ambergris, civet, precious woods—fueled colonial expansion and exploitation. French trading posts in Africa and the Indian Ocean were established primarily to secure aromatic materials.

The Code Noir of 1685, which regulated slavery in French colonies, specifically mentioned the cultivation of aromatic plants among slave duties. On the island of Bourbon (now Réunion), enslaved peoples from Madagascar and East Africa cultivated vanilla and ylang-ylang under brutal conditions. Their botanical knowledge, essential to successful cultivation, was appropriated without acknowledgment or compensation.