Canet de Mar was settled near the sea, right where is today, at late XV century. In the beginning, it was a seaside quarter belonging to the town of Sant Iscle de Vallata, and then, as the coastal trading had been the most important activity of that area since XIII and XIV centuries, Canet de Mar became an independent town. As trade kept growing during the XIII century, it was necessary to build new and bigger facilities, so the areas around the centre of the original town started to be occupied by the new constructions. Here, the two main rivers, the Buscarons river and the Gavarra river, were canalised. Canet the Mar kept its nineteenth century image until 50´s when social housing buildings started to be constructed.

Initially, Canet de Mar economy was based on the coastal trading. When steam and iron ships arrived, this kind of trading started its full decline, co Canet economy suffered an important change. The industrialization arrived, and Canet was one of the first towns in which a well-known steam machine helped to develop the textile industry in the zone. In the beginning, the production was based on stitch textiles made with a machine called "xerric". The industry kept growing until it became the main activity in the town. The Mancomunitat de Catalunya established in Canet de Mar the first Technical Engineering College for this engineering speciality (1921). Nowadays, the stitch textiles are still one of the main trade activities of the town, together with the horticulture.