Grasse

For other uses, see Grasse (disambiguation).

Grasse
Grasse
Administration
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-Maritimes
Arrondissement	Grasse
Intercommunality	Pôle Azur Provence
Mayor	Jean-Pierre Leleux (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	80–1,061 m (260–3,481 ft) (avg. 333 m or 1,093 ft)
Land area1	44.44 km2 (17.16 sq mi)
Population2	51,580  (2008)
- Density	1,161 /km2 (3,010 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	06069/ 06130
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Grasse (French pronunciation: [ɡʁas]; Provençal Occitan: Grassa in classical norm (and Italian) or Grasso in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department (of which it is a sub-prefecture), on the French Riviera.

The town is considered the world's capital of perfume. It obtained two flowers in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris contest and was made "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" (town of art and history).

Sights

View of Grasse at night

Grasse's main attraction is the Cathedral, dedicated to Notre Dame du Puy and founded in the 11th century.

In the interior, are three works by Rubens and one by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a French painter native of the town.

Other sights include:

• Saracen Tower, standing at 30 m.

• monumental gate of the Hôtel de ville

• Fragonard Museum, established in 1921

• International Museum of Perfume

• Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence

• Church of Placassier, built in 1644

Festivals

There is an annual Fête du Jasmin or La Jasminade, at the beginning of August.

The first festival was on the 3 August–4 August 1946.

These days, it is a big event; decorated floats drive through the town, with young women in skimpy costumes on board, throwing flowers onto the crowds.

This is known as the 'flower battle' and everyone gets soaked by the natural perfume of the flowers.

There are also fireworks, free parties, folk music groups and street performers. There is also an annual international exhibition of roses ("Expo Rose").

Transport

The Gare de Grasse railway station offers connections with Cannes, Nice and Ventimiglia.

Personalities

Villa Musée Fragonard (Grasse)

Grasse was the birthplace of:

• Jean-Honoré Fragonard, painter

• Marcel Journet, great operatic baritone

• Gazan de la Peyrière, general who fought under Napoleon

• Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard, painter and sculptor

• Charles Pasqua, businessman and politician

• Michèle Mouton, rally driver

• Thomas Pinault, professional footballer

• Albert Charpin, painter

• Jean-Claude Ellena, perfumer

• Gilles Marini, actor in Sex and the City, and Season 8 contestant on American Dancing With the Stars

Grasse was the death place of:

• Christian Calmes

• Édith Piaf, French singer

• Prince Eugen of Bavaria

• Jean-Honoré Fragonard French artist (1732–1806)

• Lolo Ferrari

Perfume

Bronze Parfumeur (Grasse)

Fragonard Diamant (Grasse)

• Grasse has had a prospering perfume industry since the end of the 18th century.

• Grasse is the centre of the French perfume industry and is known as the world's perfume capital (la capitale mondiale des parfums).

• Many "noses" (or, in French, "Les nez" (plural)/"Le nez" (singular)) are trained or have spent time in Grasse to distinguish over 2,000 kinds of scent.

• Grasse produces over two-thirds of France's natural aromas (for perfume and for food flavourings).

• This industry turns over more than 600 million euros a year.^{[citation needed]}

• Grasse's particular microclimate encouraged the flower farming industry.

• It is warm and sufficiently inland to be sheltered from the sea air.

• There is an abundance of water, thanks to its situation in the hills and the 1860 construction of the Siagne canal for irrigation purposes.

• The town is 350 m (1,148.29 ft) above sea level and 20 km (12 mi) from the Coast (Côte d'Azur).

• Jasmine, a key ingredient of many perfumes, was brought to southern France by the Moors in the 16th century.

• Twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine are now harvested in Grasse annually.

• There are numerous old 'parfumeries' in Grasse, such as Molinard, Fragonard and Galimard, each with tours and a museum.

Cultural references

The town is the setting in the final chapters of the novel Perfume by Patrick Süskind. It was also featured in the film based on the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006).

International relations

Grasse is twinned with:

• Kazanlak, Bulgaria

• Ingolstadt, Germany

• Opole, Poland

• L'Ariana, Tunisia

• Carrara, Italy

• Murcia, Spain

• Marblehead, USA

Population

Historical population of Grasse

Year	1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1856
Population	11,604	12,521	12,262	12,553	12,716	12,825	10,906	11,676	11,802	11,764

Year	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
Population	12,015	12,241	12,560	13,087	12,087	12,157	14,015	15,020	15,429	20,305

Year	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968	1975
Population	19,704	16,923	19,765	21,027	20,481	21,217	22,187	26,258	30,907	34,579

Year	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	37,673	41,388	43,874	51,580

See also

• Route Napoléon

• Ancient Diocese of Grasse

• Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department

External links

• Grasse travel guide from Wikitravel
• Grasse city council website (in French)