The Perfume Academy has celebrated, for the seventh consecutive year, its summer meeting in the lavender fields of Brihuega. This event, already established as a tradition in the foundation's cultural calendar, brought together a delegation of forty representatives from the world of perfume, business, tourism and the specialized press, in the middle of the flower harvesting season.
Under the Alcarria sun and among enveloping aromas, the attendees, including patrons, perfumers, directors of Stanpa, Turespaña, CEOE and CEPYME, explored the transformative impact that lavender has had on this town in rural Spain. Emilio Valeros, perfumer and “Academic of the Lavender Chair”, offered a master class on the cultivation and distillation of this plant, highlighting its central role in fine perfumery.
The day included a tour of the streets of Brihuega, adorned with lavender motifs and local crafts, accompanied by the mayor Luis Viejo and the councilor of tourism, Susana Rodríguez. This walk served to show how the flower has promoted a tourist, cultural and economic model that transcends the local level.
In the Castillo de la Peña Bermeja, the setting for an institutional meeting, Mayor Viejo shared the municipality's ambitious strategy: heritage recovery, promotion of aromatic cultivation, tourist attraction and the fight against depopulation. Thanks to these efforts, Brihuega has increased its population by 24% in less than a decade and has become a national and international benchmark destination.
Key projects were highlighted, such as the future Perfume Museum, located in the convent of San José, with an investment of 1.1 million euros, and the five-star hotel in the rehabilitated Real Fábrica de Paños. Work is also being done on a rural innovation center with spaces for digital nomads.
Val Díez, executive director of Stanpa, and Ángela de Miguel, president of CEPYME, praised the management and potential of the rural environment for the creation of value and employment, placing Brihuega as an inspiring example of collaborative transformation.
Attendees also learned interesting facts: more than 1,000 hectares cultivated, immediate distillation just 15 km away, a production that positions Spain among the top three producing countries in the world, and a sustainable approach in all phases of the process. The modern Intercova distillery, the use of waste as compost or feed and ecological certification reinforce the commitment to the environment.
The Lavender Festival, which this year attracted 10,000 international visitors, culminates this multisensory experience that unites nature, tradition, innovation and art. Brihuega lavender is, without a doubt, a fragrance that marks a before and after in rural development.