The world's most fragrant museum

There’s a museum in Italy that gives you a visual tour of the history of perfumes. And a whiff of the world’s best classic perfumes favored by royalty. We followed our noses to reach the Rancé Perfume Museum at Via Lombardini in Milan.

There are many things you discover in this perfume museum. Did you know, for instance, that:

• It was Napoleon Bonaparte who decreed that a perfume’s formula and ingredients should be written on every bottle of perfume.

• It was glovemaker Louis Rancé, the founder of the Rancé perfume dynasty, who popularized perfumed gloves in the first half of the 17th century. His factory in Grasse, France was the favorite of French aristocracy.

• Napoleon’s victories were celebrated by perfumer Francois Rancé in the 17th century with the creation of scents marking every victorious battle. Napoleon’s favorite perfume brand was Rancé.

• In the olden days, perfume was used as a weapon. All you had to do was spray perfumed poison on the outer part of a glove and shake your victim’s bare hand. Hence, a new rule of etiquette was declared: Remove your gloves before shaking hands!

 Jeanne Sandra Rancé, the elegant 11th generation heiress of the Rancé family of perfumers, took us on a tour of this museum, together with her handsome husband, Felice D’Elia, a chemical engineer. Together, they have preserved the old formulas, all handwritten on paper, that go into Rancé’s bestselling perfumes.

But of course, certain practical innovations have been made since 1795 — the year Rancé was founded in Grasse, France — to make use of high-tech production techniques to improve every product as well as its packaging.

“But please take note,” Jeanne Sandra proudly states, “we have retained the same classic logo design that was used by my forefathers.” Amid all the modern logo designs of perfumes on the market today, Rancé stands out like a refreshing, genteel princess.

“Holding a bottle of Rancé perfume is like holding history in a bottle,” says the couple’s tall, goodlooking son Giovanni D’Elia Rancé, who explains that today’s young generation finds that cool. Young people today are finding inspiration in history and the rich elegance of those days when quality, not quantity, mattered most.

Jeanne Sandra lives a perfumed existence, literally. Her father, Maurice Rancé (1907-1982) taught her how to smell, and how to distingish one scent brand from another, and to analyze each scent in terms of ingredients.

Having inherited a historic brand, she has zealously acted as guardian of an original heritage of formulas, paraphernalia and machinery that are now treasured at this private museum in Milan.

The Rancé perfume dynasty began with Louis Rancé whose workshop in Grasse, France was the favorite of French royalty and nobility. Upon his death in 1645, three generations of glovemakers (from 1682 to 1782) were led by Antoine, Jacques and Jean Francois. Jean Francois was the first to become both glovemaker and perfumer, and his two sons decided to concentrate on the perfume business.

Alexandre (1743-1815) moved to Paris to study modern perfumery, while Francois (1731-1808) stayed at his father’s factory in Grasse to expand into making eau de colognes, flower waters, essences, ointments, beauty creams and air fresheners, all in delicate fashioned boxes made of precious materials. It was in 1795 when Francois officially started Rancé as a perfume brand.

Francois’ son and grandson, Jean (1771-1838) and Francois Alexandre (1815-1890) developed new perfumes and spread their prestigious brand beyond French borders.

It was Alexandre (1872-1942) who started making perfumed soaps and relocated the Rancé headquarters to Milan. His son Maurice (1907-1982) introduced many scientific innovations.

“My father concentrated on the qualty of the raw materials, using ultra-refined ones, and opting for longer processes which gave creamier results without free fats and caustic soda. Thus, it was possible for us to add Rancé’s subtle, refined perfumes in their purest form,” explains Jeanne Sandra. .

Though Jeanne Sandra adopts high-tech innovations, she remains loyal to the artistic heritage of Rancé. Her ancestors must be sniffing and smiling proudly from a perfumed heaven.

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Rancé is distributed in 70 countries worldwide. In the Philippines, Rancé is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Alabang and Rustan’s Tower in Edsa Shangri-La.

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Thai Airways offers excellent service, cuisine, and comfort as it flies Manila-Bangkok-Milan thrice weekly, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. For reservations and inquiries on the most attractive rates and packages, call 817-5442.