Rosemary
Rosemary was a favorite ornament of medieval gardens.
The famous "Queen of Hungary's water", a simple alkoxide of rosemary, was a well-known elixir. The recipe was confided by a hermit to Isabella, Queen of Hungary. It is said to have been a veritable elixir of youth, curing the queen of rheumatism, gout and other ailments from which she suffered. "even her face was washed with this water, and it made her more beautiful." Madame Fouquet tells us all this in Anthology of easy and home remedies (1675). She lived until she was 80, after first experiencing a second youth.
The plant originates from the Mediterranean. It is grown in many countries such as France, Spain, Tunisia and Morocco. In Greece, its cultivation is limited to a few areas and to small areas.
Its essential oil has caffeic acid and its derivatives rosmarinic acid which has a strong antioxidant effect.