What if we allowed ourselves to explore Italy differently? Not through the lens of its timeless monuments, nor even solely through its gastronomy, but through that invisible substance that whispers the soul of a country: its scents. Conceived as a true sensory journey, the Scent of Italy project—born from a close collaboration with DSM-Firmenich—offers a rare experience: that of traversing the peninsula through its invisible landscapes, its ancestral gestures, and that accumulation of fleeting impressions which together form what might be called a collective “olfactory unconscious.”
The reader, turned into a still traveler, journeys across the Italian peninsula in the footsteps of perfumers, getting as close as possible to the physical reality of raw materials. One wanders beneath the vaulted ceilings of a covered market in Modena, inhales the melancholic iodine of the Venetian lagoon, before retreating into the woody alcoves of Turin’s historic cafés. From the radiant citrus groves of Sicily to the smoldering, volcanic warmth of Naples, the journey sketches out a geography of the senses.
Yet Italy cannot be reduced to its raw materials alone. It is also shaped by rituals and everyday signatures: the espresso downed at the counter in the rush of the morning, tomato sauce simmering like a family heirloom, the steam rising from a freshly baked pizza, or the comforting scent of Marseille soap. These are all powerful, familiar olfactory markers, capable of instantly conjuring memory.
On the occasion of Paris Perfume Week, this narrative comes to life through a delicate scenography at the heart of the Palais Brongniart. In the Corbeille space, visitors are invited to quite literally step into the book and turn its pages with their nose. Over the course of three days, Scent of Italy unfolds as a living program, where perfumery enters into dialogue with gastronomy, art, and heritage to portray a vibrant Italy—both popular and refined.
The travel appointments
The journey will be punctuated by key moments designed for deep immersion. On Thursday, April 9 at 11:30 a.m., the talk “Perfume as a Guide” will open the program with Catherine Dolisi, Florian Gallo, and Sophie Labbé, exploring how travel can be reimagined through scent. In the afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., master perfumer Olivier Cresp will lead a Masterclass dedicated to the imagination of Italian perfumery, weaving together sunlit citrus notes and Mediterranean inspirations.
On Friday, April 10, the experience turns more indulgent starting at 11:30 a.m., with a tasting and olfactory workshop led by Albane Furet and Raphaël Blasi, celebrating the Italian art of living through olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finally, at 4:00 p.m., a cross-disciplinary olfactory reading between author Ryoko Sekiguchi and perfumer Ane Ayo will offer a poetic and original perspective on Venice.
This is where the excellence of a unique savoir-faire lies—where contemporary perfumery reinvents nature through responsible technologies. An Italy that has always inspired the world, and whose scents continue, even today, to shape the future.
The book Scent of Italy will soon be available in the Nez bookstore catalogue.
Buon viaggio !
