Heritage
A house, in its own words
The Vidal family traces its perfume lineage to the 19th‑century workshops that supplied aristocratic households along the Adriatic coast. In 2013 the family launched The Merchant of Venice as a revival of that heritage, choosing the historic city as both inspiration and address. The brand’s first studio opened on a narrow calle near the Campo San Polo, allowing the founders to work amid the same canals that once carried exotic spices from the East. In 2014 the house secured an exclusive appointment with the Palazzo Mocenigo Museum and Study Centre for the History of Perfume, becoming the sole fragrance collection authorized to represent the museum’s archives. This partnership gave the brand access to centuries‑old recipes preserved in the museum’s vaults, which informed early releases such as Secret Rose (2015) and Arabesque (2015). The following years saw a steady rollout of scent families that echo Venice’s multicultural past: Ardent Oud (2015) referenced the city’s historic trade in Middle‑Eastern resins, while Venezia Essenza Pour Homme (2017) captured the crisp aroma of lagoon breezes. In 2021 the brand introduced Vinegia 21, a limited edition that celebrated the city’s 1500th anniversary of documented perfume production. Throughout its first decade the house has remained a family‑run operation, with Marco Vidal serving as creative director and guiding each launch through a blend of archival research and modern olfactory technique. The brand’s growth has been marked by collaborations with local artisans, participation in international niche‑fragrance fairs, and a continued presence in Venice’s cultural events, reinforcing its identity as a living bridge between past and present. The Merchant of Venice builds each fragrance as a narrative chapter, inviting the wearer to travel through the city’s layered history. The brand believes that scent can preserve memory, so it treats archival formulas as living documents rather than static relics. Sustainability guides ingredient selection; the house favors suppliers who practice responsible cultivation of agarwood, citrus, and florals, and it avoids animal‑derived fixatives. Transparency is a core value, with each launch accompanied by a brief that cites the historical moment or locale that inspired the composition. The creative process starts with a research brief that outlines a specific Venetian reference – a market, a festival, a bridge – and then translates that image into a scent palette. The team balances respect for tradition with a willingness to experiment, allowing modern techniques such as micro‑encapsulation to enhance longevity without compromising the natural character of the raw materials. Community involvement also shapes the brand’s outlook; the Vidal family supports local heritage projects, and a portion of each bottle’s proceeds funds the preservation of historic perfume manuscripts housed in the Palazzo Mocenigo. By intertwining storytelling, ethical sourcing, and cultural stewardship, the house aims to keep Venice’s fragrant legacy alive for future generations.