The Fragrant Epic, from Rollon to William and beyond.

The Fragrant Epic offers a sensitive journey through Norman history via five original olfactory creations. Five fragrances, five presences that accompany the movement of the Norman epic: to anchor, to transmit, to traverse, to shine, and to become.

- The Oath of Rollon, 911 opens the journey with a woody, smoky, and earthy presence. The damp earth, wood, and dark materials evoke the anchoring, the power of a territory taking shape, and the foundational pact of Normandy.

- Mathilde, Queen and Artist, 1066 reveals a floral, noble, and luminous presence. White flowers, lily, and rose, supported by the depth of benzoin and patchouli, evoke Mathilde of Flanders, the textile gesture, the memory of tapestry, and artistic transmission. The fragrance becomes woven material, trace, and heritage.

- With Guillaume, The Crossing of the Stars, 1066, the olfactory landscape shifts to the sea. A marine, mineral, and spicy presence translates the departure, the sea spray, the crossing, and the call of the open sea. The fragrance accompanies the moment when Guillaume leaves the Norman land and projects his destiny beyond the shores.

- Sicily, Promised Land, 1130 brings the light of the South. A solar, Mediterranean, and luminous presence, where citrus and incense evoke the meeting of cultures and the mixture of Norman Sicily. After the lands and seas of the North, the olfactory material opens up to Mediterranean light.

- Finally, Strongbow and the Knights of Ireland, 1171 unfolds a leathery, deep, and vibrant presence. The leather, the depth of materials, and the energy of the composition evoke the ride, strength, and movement, while the Norman epic continues its momentum towards the West and Ireland.

These five creations give an olfactory presence to History. Each reveals, through material, the vibration of an era, a landscape, a figure, or a movement. Wood, flowers, sea sprays, citrus, incense, and leather become the sensitive messengers of this epic.

Imagined by PARFUMS BERRY, an independent, artisanal, and artistic olfactory house born in Normandy, The Fragrant Epic extends a work at the crossroads of territory, memory, material, and the invisible. Olfaction becomes a language of transmission, a sensitive way to enter a thousand years of Norman history.

The five creations are presented in olfactory devices accompanied by labels, allowing everyone to discover them freely. They are also available in the form of perfumes, ambient fragrances, and candles, allowing one to carry a sensory trace of the epic.

Presented for free at PARFUMERIE DAMIETTE, 35 rue DAMIETTE in ROUEN, the exhibition continues its journey through Normandy with a presentation in Barfleur.

Contact

Partnerships: PARFUMERIE DAMIETTE, Rouen, exhibition venue and distribution partner; Art Mateur, Barfleur, partner for the exhibition presentation; Cécile Tauvel, within the framework of the project Weaving Imprints, around Mathilde of Flanders and the dialogue