[astrobe_]

Someone mentioned in the comments of TFA, but soap-making was an industry in a southern french town since ancient times. [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_soap

[othello]

Absolutely! Also “town” seems rather uncharitable as Marseille has been a city without interruption for the past 2600 years since it’s founding as Massalia by Greek colonists - making it almost as old as Rome. It’s home to 1.8 million today, and a beautiful place to visit!

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Marseille

[tgv]

> The first documented soapmaker was recorded there in about 1370.

That's not ancient times. That's practically Renaissance.

[hypertele-Xii]

Wikipedia says [0] it's late middle ages, and only mentions the beginning of Italian reneissance. Though the word "ancient" has more specific meaning in history than is being used here, probably, referring to pre- middle ages (classical antiquity).

It's not ancient times, but also not quite reneissance yet.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_century