The word 'lavender' is derived from the Latin 'lavandaria' (laundry) coming from the verb 'lavare' (to wash). Although classified as a 'precious plant' by the Roman naturalists and used since Antiquity around the Mediterranean as a perfume and for its antiseptic and bactericidal properties, it only takes its name in the Middle Ages, when it is commonly used to wash clothes. Its fragrance repels the moths and parasites from the laundry and rids it of the bad odors suspected of spreading diseases.