From May 21 to Nov. 30, 2025, the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo - home of the Center for the Study of the History of Textile, Costume and Perfume, in Venice is hosting the exhibition Journey through the History of Perfume. Storp Collection. The exhibition, promoted by Mavive Parfums and Zignago Vetro with the support of Givaudan, was created in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Heritage, Archaeology, History of Art, Film and Music of theUniversity of Padua.
The exhibition route unfolds along a scenic timeline, through which visitors can admire more than five hundred bottles, protected under elegant glass bells. These objects tell the story of six thousand years of olfactory culture. Alongside the original exhibits, seven historical fragrances have been faithfully recreated by the essence house Givaudan, starting with the original formulas.
The curatorial project, set up in the Portego, coordinated by the Scientific Director of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, Chiara Squarcina, and curator Luigi Zanini, and entrusted to lecturers Monica Baggio, Barbara Savy and Massimo Vidale of the University degli studi di Padova and Marco Vidal, Managing Director of Mavive and Co-Curator of the Perfume Route of the Palazzo Mocenigo Museum, is divided into thirty-two thematic modules arranged in chronological order, ranging from Ancient Egypt to the modern era and industrialization.
A common thread that binds the entire exhibition is an evocative message: “perfume may fade, but the bottle preserves the memory of it.” The variety of forms, materials used and signs of the times offers a visual narrative of human creativity through the millennia. From ancient ointment jars to exquisite Meissen porcelain containers, from 19th-century goldsmithing masterpieces to post-World War II industrial bottles, each piece tells how perfume has always accompanied the evolution of civilizations, covering every sphere of life with sacred, therapeutic and cosmetic roles.
Collections of antique perfume bottles are extremely rare in the international museum scene. The Storp Collection, now among the most important in the world, originated in 1911 with the founding of theDrom company. Bruno Storp and his wife Dora, passionate collectors of perfume bottles, gave birth to a unique collection, which was enriched in 1921 with the expansion curated by Dora. Later, in 1967, it was Ursula Storp-the mother of Ferdinand and Andreas Storp-who took over the collection and oversaw its maintenance and enhancement, devoting her entire life to it.
Today the collection has more than 3,000 rare pieces, some of which date back nearly six thousand years, and is an extraordinary testimony to the art of perfumery over time. For the first time, thanks to an agreement with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, the prestigious Storp Collection is on display to offer the public an immersive journey into the aesthetic and olfactory memory of humanity.
The itinerary begins in the White Room on the ground floor of the museum, where an immersive videomapping created by Zignago Vetro introduces visitors to the last phase of the timeline, then takes them to the origins of the history of perfume. The multimedia experience, made up of evocative images and enveloping sounds, represents a sensory synaesthesia that tells of the eternal allure of glass - that “liquid stone” that has always guarded essences and their stories.
“The section dedicated to the history of perfume is another opportunity for Fondazione Musei Civici to tell the story of the intense link between the invisible accessory - perfume - and the aesthetic virtuosity of skilled hands that over the centuries have created the caskets of these precious essences,” said Chiara Squarcina, Scientific Director Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. “Today we read history through these incredible creations, a reflection of different contexts and the result of countless suggestions-artistic, social and economic. An opportunity, therefore, to admire the precious specimens of the Storp collection cheringraziamo for the generous concession.”
“In this project, the millennial history of perfume is extraordinarily intertwined with that of its container, glass, which has always been the material par excellence for preserving fragrances,” said Biagio Costantini, CEO of Zignago Vetro. “It is fascinating to see how glass, from its origins in antiquity to modern production, continues to tell a story of innovation and beauty, showing the evolution of our relationship with fragrance through the centuries. In this exhibition, art meets industry, which proves capable of shaping creativity and beauty.”
“The fascinating thing about these treasures encased in perfume bottles is that they still tell the same story today that their contents once did,” explained Ferdinand Storp, collector and owner of the Storp Collection. “The fragrance may have evaporated hundreds of years ago on the velvety skin of a beautiful woman, but looking at the bottle we can still imagine its history-a perfect parallel to Venice, where every building, every corner and every stone holds a story and a past to tell.”
“My dream was to create an exhibition timeline spanning more than 6,000 years of the history of perfume to show that cosmetics have always been at the center of men’s and women’s lives; we have succeeded thanks to the extraordinary Storp Collection and the indispensable collaboration with Fondazione Musei Civici. This allows us to affirm that perfumery is a cultural and anthropological fact as well as an increasingly relevant sector for the economy of Italy and Europe,” said Marco Vidal, CEO of Mavive S.p.A.
“Givaudan recognizes the importance of traditions in this industry, as they reflect the richness and variety of our olfactory heritage. This exhibition highlights our expertise through the selection of iconic recipes, allowing visitors to rediscover forgotten scents with extraordinary authenticity. The collaboration on this exceptional project also underscores the importance of the history of perfumery while celebrating the art of olfaction in all its splendor and creativity,” concluded Maurizio Volpi, President Fragrance&Beauty Givaudan.
Hours: Until Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. From Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Extended openings: from May 1 to Sept. 30, 2025, every Friday and Saturday open until 8 p.m.
Closed Mondays.
Photo by Riccardo Tarantino.
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| An exhibition in Venice traces 6,000 years of perfume history with the Storp Collection |
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