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-From the sixth to the eleventh centuries western perfumery was maintained mainly by monks who used the scents mainly for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. They used herbs such as sage and lavender.

- Around 1220 the first medical school was opened in Montpellier, France. The area would in the following centuries develop into one of the most important centers of the world in Perfumery. Even today in the nearby fields they grow many herbs and flowers for medicine and perfumery.

- Ever since 200AD the discovery of the distillation of plant oils in Alexandria, chemists has tried to advance in the science of  fragrances.

-In 1320 an Italian family found the solution: Through good isolation and cooling the tubes that  the vapor passes through they were able to produce clos to 95% alcohol. This first distillery was set up in the city of Modena, Italy.

They first called this taste burming water: aqua mirabilis (marvelous water) and aqua Vitae (water of life).

Today pure perfume consits of 20-30% essential oil and the rest alcohol and water.

-In 1370, 50 years later Queen Elisabeth of Hungary inspired the first named perfume: Hungary water.I was a mixture of rosemary and lavender. The legend said that the person who blended and presented the perfume to the queen assured her that it would preserve her beauty unimpaired until death. It seemed to work as at 72 she married the King of Poland.

-1500's further development in distilling continued and oils had been extracted from pine, frankincense, cedar, sweet flag, agrwood, sandalwood, anise, juniper, cardammon, fennel and nutmeg.

The middle ages and the development of alcohol

Elisabeth of Hungary