It all started in 1643, at the dawn of the reign of Louis XIV. In one of the streets which would become, many years later, the epicenter of French refinement, the merchant Claude Trudon, became the owner of a shop in which he developed a business as a grocer and candlemaker. At the beginning of the 1th century, the brand, which until then had borne the name of its owner and whose products were aimed at parishes and wealthy households, became the Manufacture royale des cires. At its head, Jérôme Trudon, heir to the house, innovated and perfected the manufacture of beeswax candles, which became immaculate white. A know-how that would reach the imperial court of Napoleon I.

Over the centuries, the products are constantly evolving to adapt to needs. In 1989, it was taken over by the Blondeau family, who tried their hand at creating different ranges of scented candles, intended for a national and decorative market. But it was in the 2000s that the company pushed the limits of its know-how to try its hand at perfume by launching five signature fragrances and home fragrances in 2017. She aims to " become a key player in the perfumery landscape ", notes the company's current creative director.

Combining craftsmanship and reducing environmental impact

« We are always developing new products (and new categories) to pay tribute to our exceptional history and craftsmanship. ", underlines Julien Pruvost. And it is precisely this taste for craftsmanship and the History of France that encouraged the Trudon house to reinvent the busts and candles in "cameo" representing historical symbols or faces, in partnership with the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN). A prestigious collaboration that is far from being the only one since the company has also imagined candles for fashion houses such as Giambatista Valli, Valentino or Balmain.

Today labeled Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, the candle maker continues to build bridges between its know-how and the concerns of its time. With the aim of reducing its environmental impact, Trudon now offers a second life to its empty bottles and candle glasses. Collected exclusively in one of the four Parisian points of sale, they are recycled and exchanged there. For each candle glass, a 10% reduction on any immediate purchase of a new candle of the same size is offered. In 2018, the company is questioning the model that made its candles famous. It is ending the use of beeswax in favor of a vegetable, European and mainly organic wax. A strong commitment that is accompanied by financial support to protect the endemic European black bee, today greatly threatened by intensive agriculture and industrial beekeeping. A partnership rich in meaning when we know that since 1643, the motto of the House has been: “Deo regic working” which means “they (the bees) work for God and the Roi ".