The True Lavender

Used since ancient times to perfume bath water, lavender takes its name from the Latin lavare (“to wash”) and was already associated with Roman rituals of cleanliness and well-being. Its essential oil is among the most valued: calming, soothing, and useful as a linen fragrance against moths; in Provence it inspired the famous myth of purple fields born from a “piece of sky” dropped by the fairy Lavandula. In many folk traditions, it was considered a protective plant, hung above doors and windows to ward off negative influences and bring harmony into homes.