History
The word “perfume” arrived in Portuguese through the French “parfum,” taken from the Italian “profumo,” derived from the Latin “per fumum,” meaning “through smoke” or “via smoke,” in the sense of “vapor that expands.”
In the 8th century, Muslims sailed from North Africa and took control of what is now Portugal and Spain. Known in Arabic as al-Andalus, the region joined the expanding Umayyad Empire and prospered under Muslim rule. It should not be too surprising that Arabic influences were part of the Portuguese culture, and the people’s identity.
In the 9th century, the Arab chemist Alquindi (Alquindo) wrote a book about perfumes called “The Book of Perfumes and Distilled Chemistry.” It contained hundreds of recipes for fragrance oils, salves, aromatic waters, and substitutes or imitations for expensive drugs. The book also described 107 methods and recipes for perfumery, including some of the instruments used in perfume production that still bear Arabic names, such as “alambique” (still).
The Persian physician and chemist Avicenna (also known as Ibn Sina) introduced the process of extracting flower oils through distillation, which is still the most commonly used process today. His early experiments were with roses.
Before they discovered liquid perfumes made from a mixture of oils and crushed herbs or petals, resulting in a strong mixture. Rosewater was more delicate and quickly became popular. Both the experimental ingredients and distillation technology influenced Western perfumery and scientific developments, especially in chemistry.
Although perfume was part of the secret wonders in Portugal, it was from Spain, that it was introduced throughout Europe during the Renaissance.
It was in France, starting in the 14th century, where flower cultivation and the perfumery industry experienced significant development, remaining the European center for perfume research and trade ever since.
A New Chapter
During the 15th century, Portuguese perfumery flourished, especially in Lisbon, where perfumes were produced from exotic ingredients brought by Portuguese explorers from their travels around the world. The perfumery industry continued to grow over the following centuries, with several famous perfume houses such as Ach. Brito and Claus Porto becoming known for their high-quality products.
Today, Portugal continues to be a hub for perfume production, with a number of niche fragrance houses such as Next Memory, Comporta Perfumes, Confiança, Benamor and Castelbel. These perfumers draw inspiration from Portugal’s rich cultural heritage and stunning natural landscapes, creating unique and captivating scents that capture the essence of this beautiful country.
