Grasse

  


 

Shutters of Grasse!Shutters of Grasse!

 

Grasse, 'Perfume Capital of the World', is a popular town that tourists have visited for hundreds of years. Located some 300m above sea level the air is clearer in summer when the heat on the coast is intense. There are narrow winding streets and flights of ancient steps throughout the 17th and 18th century old town  - 'vielle ville'. In Place aux Aires there is a daily market with flowers and food and the surrounding buildings have have hardly changed, apart from the modern shop fronts of course. A large fountain splashes in the centre of the flowers.

 

The lower old town

 

Down below in Place Godeau can be found the 10th & 11th century Notre Dame du Puy Cathedral, containing some extremely interesting paintings, and the 12th century 'Tour de Guet' by the Mairie, which was the Bishop's Palace.

As her local town and administrative centre, Winifred Fortescue would no doubt have been very familiar with the old town, daily food and flower market and the fish market - often mentioned in her books.

The Cannes - Grasse railway line was still in use in Lady Fortescue's time and re-opened on the 26th March 2005. Click here to see the page about the line or use the link at the bottom of this page.

The Chemins de Fer de Provence metre gauge railway used to pass through the olive groves at The Domaine. To learn more about this interesting line, still operating between Nice and Digne, click here or use the link at the bottom of the page.

 

Fragonard, Grasse

A corner of Fragonard

Fragonard Label

1932 J H Fragonard bi-centenary label

 

The historic perfume factory in the heart of the Old Town is one of the oldest in Grasse, the present premises have housed perfume making from 1782. In 1926 they took the name of Parfumerie Fragonard as a tribute to the famous painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

 

Visit Fragonard

Visit Fragonard web site

 

Open every day, Sundays and public holidays included, from 9 am to 6.30 pm (closed 12.30 pm to 2 pm November to January).

 

Visit Grasse web site

Donkey rides at Place aux Aires, Grasse

Place aux Aires - tour the town by donkey!

Flower Market, Place aux Aires, Grasse

Place aux Aires - the daily flower market

Old Fish Market, Grasse

The beautiful glass & metal cover of the old fish market

Old Fish Market, Grasse

The beautiful glass & metal cover of the old fish market

Rue de la Fontette, Grasse, 1936

Rue de la Fontette, Grasse. This postcard, (left), is franked 14th May 1936, about the time Lady Fortescue arrived in the area - at the top of the street is an advert for 'Pastilles Geraudel' by Jules Cheret

Jules Cheret Poster

Cheret was the father of the advertising poster. By the 1890’s, known as the Belle Epoque in France, he was so successful that he was said to have transformed the boulevards of Paris into the “Art Gallery of the Streets”. His young beauties became  a fixture on the billboards of Paris, so much so that they became known as “Cherettes.” One of the most poetic was the floating beauty in this add for a cough drop. Cheret has cleverly placed her in a snowstorm with large flakes that subtly remind us of the product.

1928 Grasse taxi company advert

1928 Taxi Flyer for H. Clapier - Excursions

1928 Grasse taxi company advert

1928 Taxi Flyer for H. Clapier - Tarif de Jour

 

The band stand in the centre of Grasse

The band stand in the centre of Grasse

Place aux Aires

Place aux Aires

Old buildings in the lower town

Old buildings in the lower town largely unchanged for years

Old buildings in the lower town

Old buildings in the lower town largely unchanged for years

Lower town

Square in the lower town

Square in the lower town

Square in the lower town

Square in the lower town

Square and market in the lower town

Central Grasse towards Bvd du Jeu de Ballon

Grasse centre

 
Early postcard view of Grasse

Postcard view of Grasse - early 1900's

Postcard view of Grasse - early 1900's

Postcard view of Grasse  - early 1900's

Picking rose flowers near Grasse for the perfume industry

Picking rose flowers near Grasse for the perfume industry

Picking jasmine flowers near Grasse for the perfume industry

Picking jasmine flowers near Grasse for the perfume industry

Click here to see live video web-cam pictures of Grasse

CDFP Railway Cannes-Grasse Rly

Back Home Up Next


Pictures - P.Riley