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MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN

In May 2023, thanks to the patronage of Maison Francis

Kurkdjian, the Palace of Versailles unveiled a curiosity-piquing

new attraction open to the public on the Trianon estate:

The Perfumer’s Garden.

This garden showcases historic plants, some with very

unusual scents, and “mute” flowers like hyacinths, peonies

and violets. Hundreds of scented plants, grown in the

style of the Trianon’s 17th-century gardens, offer insights

into the history of fragrance at the court of Versailles.

At its height, the court was home to a profusion of flowers

and scents, making it a fertile ground for the budding art

of perfumery. The Palace of Versailles now has three

very different spaces that carry on this botanical tradition.

First there’s “The Garden of Curiosities” opposite the

Châteauneuf Orangery, where most of the plants are.

Then there’s “Under the Trees”, a flowered path lined with

hyacinths and magnolias. And lastly, there’s “The Secret

Garden”, a more intimate setting.

The Perfumer’s Garden is the result of the exceptional

collaboration between the Trianon’s gardeners and

Maison Francis Kurkdjian, where visitors can enjoy mag-

nificent natural surroundings and a new haven of greenery

on the palace grounds. Over 200 visits and workshops

have already been organized in the new garden, allowing

nearly 6,000 visitors to immerse themselves in the world

of perfumery and learn about the history of fragrance at

Versailles. The Perfumer’s Garden will open again to the

public in the spring of 2024 and will also be the focus of

an exceptional event in front of the Grand Trianon.

The Perfumer’s Garden

OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE BULY

Officine Universelle Buly takes visitors on a trip through

time, across eras and continents, featuring a premium-quality

selection of authentic, effective products, crowned by a

highly original, infinitely appealing aesthetic. Precious oils,

powders and clays mix with waterbased fragrances and

other curiosities in an apothecarial array of scents that

charms and transports visitors as soon as they step inside

Waterbased fragrances made using pure gentle emulsions

with no harsh drying solvents are easy on the skin and

allow all their olfactory notes to be expressed

as soon as they are applied Because a truly

great fragrance adapts to the wearers body

and to their personality Its scent should stay

close to the wearer, and should be subtle, not overwhelming,

to those nearby.”

Inspired by an heirloom collection of seeds and plants, and

by the passion and curiosity of 18th- and 19th-century

botanists Les Jardins Français is an intoxicating selection of

botanical scents that revives a unique palette of historic

garden fragrances Like a bountiful harvest in an endless

garden its paths brimming with rare scents these armfuls

of familiar vegetables and simple herbs these fragrant bou

quets aromatic and sunkissed to perfection are a delight

for the senses and the soul In the words of founder

Victoire de Taillac Vegetables may be one of the most

overlooked treasures in the history of perfumemaking

Water-based fragrances