The flax is originaly from the Dead Sea and the Caucasus area. The oldest archaeological evidence in Europe, was found in the swiss lakes, dating back to 8000 B.C, and the archaeological remains of a linen cloth, in the Iberian Peninsula, were found in Portugal, in Caldas de Monchique, dating back to the third millennium B.C.

This is a plant that has been domesticated and used in the textile industry for several millennia. It was higly esteemed by various civilizations, including the Egyptians.

In the middle ages, we have to reference the production center of Guimarães and its linens, but also the Maia and Porto areas. The Douro and Minho regions were always involved in the cultivation of flax, especially the Galician variety, which is the finest variety, that produces the lightest pieces, a series of goods that easily became luxury goods, given its elegance and lightness, but also its whiteness.