The smells of the Lunel market in the Middle Ages

The Médard Museum in Lunel (France) has just inaugurated a new exhibition entitled "Hidden Treasures! Lunel and its Written Heritage" in which I had the joy of collaborating on the olfactory side.

In this exhibition you can see some very beautiful illuminated books, and some forbidden books that Louis Médard owned and that he hid in a piece of furniture with secret drawers. Of course, there are books criticizing the Catholic religion, others of a sexual nature such as for example on the chastity belt, male impotence and others on "the art of making boys" written by M****, a so-called anonymous (Mr. Procope, you have been unmasked!) to avoid reprisals, ranging from imprisonment to die at the stake.

A stroll that delighted my curiosity and often left me speechless when faced with the themes of such books.

In another room, in a space recreating an ideal medieval library, was presented the bespoke perfume "Old Books" that I had created for a previous exhibition and that could be smelled by lifting the cork stopper from a terracotta pot into which the scent had been sprayed.

Another room evoked life in the city in the Middle Ages. A multi-sensory table presented the smells of the Lunel market at that time. Indicated on a small sign, visitors could have fun try to find them by lifting the lids of the eight jars.

These eight olfactory ingredients, supplied in 50ml spray bottles, were mentioned, among others, in a document on goods for sale in the Middle Ages, and kept in the city archives.

I supplied spices like black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, all fairly standard ingredients, but also less common scents like sheep's wool (an absolute) and cheese (a synthetic ingredient that smells of blue cheese or Roquefort).

The exhibition is on show until March 7, 2026.