Cologne

The artistry of perfumery prospered in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century, Italian refinements were taken to France by Catherine de' Medici's personal perfumer, Rene le Florentin. France quickly became the European center of perfume and cosmetic manufacture. Cultivation of flowers for their perfume essence, which had begun in the 14th century, grew into a dominant trade in the south of France.

Eau de Cologne (EdC) is originally a specific fragrance and trademark of a citrus nature and weak in Cologne concentration made in Cologne, Germany. However outside of Germany the course deadbeat become generic for a weakly concentrated perfume.