SAMPLE .. Berdoues, Violettes de Toulouse, 'Toulouse Violets', DECANTED SAMPLE from Flacon, Eau de Toilette, 1934, 1999, Toulouse, France

The beginnings of violet production in Toulouse are unknown. Historians date its debut at more or less precisely the year 1854. The earliest known sellers were originally found north of the city. The producers would sell their violets in the Jacobin violet market in the streets of downtown Toulouse. In 1908, a cooperative was created .. the cooperative for both violets and onions! The Toulouse Violet had its heyday in the first half of the twentieth century. They was exported to Europe and to Russia. This production involved 600 producers over twenty hectares. But the culture of the violet growers experienced a crisis that eventually killed most producers. The rigorous 1956 Winter causes many losses. The development of glasshouse cultivation techniques now provides for the growth of violets in winter. In 1983, the cooperative disappeared and only a few producers now remain.

In 1985, an agronomist, Adrien Roucolle, decided to revive the culture of the Toulouse violet to prevent the extinction of the variety. A conservatory of plants is in place to safeguard it. In 1992 the in vitro culture of violets became possible and there are currently ten producers carrying on the cultivation today.

In 1993 an association was created named "Violets of the Earth”. It includes both industrial methods of producing perfume, liqueurs and crystallized violets, plus growers and enthusiasts. To revitalize and modernize the image of the flower, Violets of the Earth acts as an "advertising agency” for violet production, and it works with the media to launches the 'Festival des Violettes' each year in the city of Toulouse.

The activity of this association has created the link that is made today between violets and Toulouse. Indeed, this flower and its cultivation have been known since ancient times, and it has existed srongly in the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century. There are several other major production regions in Hyères, in Grasse, on the French Azur and in Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Algeria, because the flower was very fashionable for use in both ornamental gardens and parfumerie in centuries past.

Violettes de Toulouse is a feminine perfume made by Berdoues. The scent was launched in 1934 and the fragrance was created by perfumer Henri Berdoues. While this perfume has now been relaunched and can be purchased new, there is nothing that compares to this old original formula.

The beautiful Violettes de Toulous fragrance features Bergamot, fruity notes, Violet, Violet Leaves, Cyclamen, Almond Blossom, Lily of the Valley, Iris, Sandalwood, Musk, Jasmine, and Lilac. It takes 2,500 lbs. of violet flowers to make just 2 lbs. of the precious violet oil! That’s one and one quarter tons of tiny violet flowers!

Offered here is an opportunity to buy a decanted sample of this lovely Violette fragrance .. so adored in France!