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During the Middle
Ages, Italy was divided in small provinces that were in a
permanent and endemic state of war. The renowned pope Hildegard
(Gregory XII) and his successors tried to maintain a degree
of peace in the Italian peninsula. Along with the increasing
magnifiscense of garments and jewelry, the use of perfume
escalated in their courts. Thus, the 16th century
was the privileged era for perfumers. Potions, makeup, and
hair grooming products enjoyed great popularity among Renaissance
Ladies.
With the discovery of th3e Americas
and its botanical species, ancient perfume formulas were considerably
modified. Perfumers had brand new palette ingredients such
as cocoa, vanilla, etc. In the same period, Spain, recently
liberated from Arab domination, discovered the Oriental secrets
for preparation of floral essence. It was also during this
time that eliminating a rival by the use of poison became
an art form. In addition to opiates, these Machiavellian masters
used perfumes and cosmetics as vehicles to administer toxins.
The Italian Renaissance commonly used hair products, in keeping
with Roman tradition.
Venice in particular had a famous
“water” that given the patrician ladies of this city the famous
“ardent blonde,” reflected in the Veronese masterpiece. Perfume
was also used to scent the homes and villas of the rich and
famous, and was applied to objects such as jewels, fans, masques,
and even birds and dogs. Traces of the enjoyment for perfume
appear in many writings from this period. Books on perfumery
were produced and indicate that perfume was an integral part
of the way of life.
The extended use of perfume during
this era of great discoveries even applied to the medical
profession. Surgeons would treat wounds by applying aromatized
wines and perfumed lotions
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