Grasse (;

Provençal Provençal may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Provence, a region of France ** Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France ** ''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language * Provenca ...

_{in classical norm} or _{in Mistralian norm

The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language

Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan ...} ; traditional ) is the only

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

of the

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...

department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

on the

French Riviera The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...

. In 2017, the commune had a population of 50,396. Considered the world's capital of

perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

, Grasse obtained two flowers in the ''

Concours des villes et villages fleuris The (, 'Competition of cities and villages in bloom') is an annual France, French Contesting, contest. It aims to encourage Communes of France, communes to adopt and implement policies improving the quality of life of their inhabitants and enh ...

'' and was made ''Ville d'Art et d'Histoire'' (City of Art and History).

Festivals

There is an annual ''Fête du Jasmin'' or ''La Jasminade'', at the beginning of August. The first festival was on August 3–4, 1946. Decorated floats drive through the town, with young women in skimpy costumes on board, throwing flowers into the crowd. Garlands of jasmine decorate the town centre, and the fire department fills a fire truck with jasmine-infused water to spray on the crowds. There are fireworks, free parties,

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

groups and street performers. There is also an annual international exhibition of roses ("Expo Rose") held in May each year.

Transport

Grasse station Grasse station ( French: ''Gare de Grasse'') is a railway station serving Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes department, southeastern France. It is the terminus of the from Cannes. The station opened in 1871, and was closed after 1938 until it was rebuilt ...

offers railway connections with

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Ventimiglia Ventimiglia (; , ; ; ) is a resort town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is located west of Genoa, and from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia river, w ...

. From 1909 to 1938, the town centre was connected to the railway station by the

Grasse Funicular The Grasse Funicular was a funicular line that previously connected the town of Grasse, France, with its railway station. The town centre of Grasse is perched on a hillside approximately above sea level and above the town's railway station with ...

Perfume

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 scents. 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. Grasse's particular

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

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 location in the hills and the 1860 construction of the

Siagne The Siagne (; ) is a river that flows through the Var and Alpes-Maritimes departments of southeast France. It is long. For much of its length, it forms the border between the two departments. Its drainage basin is .irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

purposes. The town is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

and from the coast (

Côte d'Azur The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...

Jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

, a key ingredient of many perfumes, was brought to southern France by the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

in the 16th century. Twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine are now harvested in Grasse annually. There are numerous old 'parfumeries' in Grasse, such as

Galimard Galimard is a French perfume manufacture based in Grasse founded by Joseph Roux in 1950. The name of the manufacture is a tribute to Jean de Galimard. History In 1747 Jean de Galimard, Lord of Seranon was a perfumer in Grasse. Galimard was th ...

, Molinard and Fragonard, each with tours and a museum. The trade in

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

and tanning work developed during the twelfth century around the small canal that runs through the city. This activity produced a strong unpleasant odour. At the time of the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

perfume manufacturers began production of gloves, handbags and belt (clothing), to meet the new fashion from Italy with the entourage of Queen

Catherine de Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II. She was the mother of French kings Fran ...

. The countryside around the city began to grow fields of flowers, offering new scents from the city. In 1614, the king recognized the new corporation of "glovers perfumers". In the middle of the eighteenth century, the perfumery was experiencing a very important development. Leading companies dating from this period includes the oldest French perfumerie, and third oldest parfumerie in Europe,

established in 1747. Introduction of new production methods turned perfume making into a real industry that could adapt to new market demands. In the nineteenth century, the raw materials began to be imported from abroad. During the twentieth century the creation of synthetic products brought the democratization and affordability of perfumes and their spin-offs; (

shampoos Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a Viscosity, viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. ("Dry shampoo" is a separate product.) Shamp ...

and

deodorants A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor caused by bacterial breakdown of perspiration, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents sweating itself, typ ...

cream (pharmaceutical) A cream is a preparation usually for application to the skin. Creams for application to mucous membranes such as those of the rectum or vagina are also used. Creams may be considered pharmaceutical products, since even cosmetic creams are man ...

and detergents, food flavouring for cookies, ice cream and dairy products, beverages,

convenience food Convenience food (also called tertiary processed food) is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) for ease of consumption, and is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily portable, have ...

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...

, preserves and syrups). In 1905, six hundred tons of flowers were harvested while in the 1940s, five thousand tons were produced annually. However, in early 2000, production was less than 30 tons for all flowers combined.

Historical activity

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Grasse specialised in leather tanning. Once tanned, the hides were often exported to

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, cities that shared a commercial alliance with Grasse. Several centuries of this intense activity witnessed many technological advances within tanning industries. The hides of Grasse acquired a reputation for high quality. But the leather smelled bad, something that did not please the glove wearing

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

. This is when Jean de

, a tanner in Grasse, came up with the idea of scented leather gloves. He offered a pair of scented gloves to

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

, who was seduced by the gift. Thereafter, the product spread through the Royal Court and high society, and this made a worldwide reputation for Grasse. The seventeenth century became the heyday of "Glovers Perfumers"; however, high taxes on leather and competition from

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance, flavoring or flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficien ...

ceased. The rare scents from the Grasse (

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

, myrtle, jasmine,

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

orange blossom The orange blossom is the fragrant flower of the orange (fruit), ''Citrus sinensis'' (orange tree). It is used in perfume making and has been written about as an aphrodisiac. Orange blossom Essential oil, essence is an important component in ...

and wild

mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 600 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. Species are native to the Americas, from North Dakota to northern Argentina, and to eastern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, and ...

) did win the title for the Grasse as the perfume capital of the world. Harvesting jasmine was a labour-intensive business only a few decades ago. Flowers had to be hand picked at dawn, when their scent is the most developed and immediately to be treated by cold

enfleurage Enfleurage is a process that uses odorless fats that are solid at room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds, such as volatile oils, produced by plants. The process can be "cold" enfleurage or "hot" enfleurage. Process There are two t ...

Modern industry

A network of sixty companies employs 3,500 people in the city and surrounding area. Additionally, about 10,000 residents of Grasse are indirectly employed by the perfume industry. Almost half of the

business tax A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax or corporate income tax, is a type of direct tax levied on the income or capital of corporations and other similar legal entities. The tax is usually imposed at the national level, but i ...

for the city comes from the perfume sector and that is ahead of tourism and services. The main activity of perfumery in Grasse is in the production of natural raw materials (

essential oils An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

, concretes, absolutes, resinoids and

molecular distillation Molecular distillation is a type of short-path vacuum distillation, characterized by an extremely low vacuum pressure, 0.01 torr or below, which is performed using a molecular still. It is a process of separation, purification and concentration of ...

) and the production of concentrate, also called the juice. A concentrate is the main product that when diluted in at least 80% alcohol provides a perfume. Also, food flavourings, which have developed since the 1970s, account for over half of production output today. This represents almost half of the production of French perfumes and aromas and around 7-8% of total global activity. However, during the 1960s and 1970s large international groups gradually bought up local family factories ( Chiris,

Givaudan Givaudan S.A. () is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of flavours, fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients. As of 2008, it was the world's largest company in the flavour and fragrance industry. Overview The company's scents and flavours ...

- Roure and Lautier, for example). Soon after their production was often relocated overseas. Just 30 years ago most companies were focused on the production of raw materials. However, an overwhelming majority of the modern fragrances contain synthetic chemicals in part or in whole. Grasse perfume companies have therefore adapted by turning to aromatic synthesis and especially to food flavourings and successfully ended a long stagnation. The Grasse perfume industry cannot compete against large chemical multinationals, but it benefits greatly from the advantage of its knowledge of raw materials, facilities, contractors, etc. In addition, major brands such as

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...

and

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...

have their own plantations of roses and jasmine in the vicinity of Grasse.

Perfumeries

Three perfumeries, Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard opened their doors to the public and offer free tours that explain the processes of producing a perfume. It is possible to create one's own perfume, eau de perfume or

eau de toilette Eau de toilette (, meaning "grooming water") is a lightly scented perfume. It is also referred to as aromatic waters and has a high alcohol content. It is usually applied directly to the skin after bathing or shaving. It is traditionally composed ...

and participate in all stages of manufacture from picking flowers to bottling. *

Perfumery, established in 1747 by Jean de Galimard, provided the Royal Court with ointments and perfumes. It is the third oldest perfume company in the world after

Farina gegenüber Farina may refer to: Places * Farina, South Australia, a former town in outback South Australia * Farina, Illinois, a village in the United States * Farina railway station, a former railway station on the Central Australian Railway, South Austr ...

and Floris of London and was revived after the war by Gaston de Fontmichel and Joseph Roux. * Molinard was established in 1849 and their perfume bottles were made of

Baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game. It is now mainly played at casinos, but formerly popular at house-parties and private gaming rooms. The game's origins are a mixture of precursors from China, Japan, and Korea, which then gained popularit ...

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

and

Lalique Lalique is a French luxury glassmaker, founded by glassmaker and jeweller René Lalique in 1888. Lalique is produced glass art, including perfume bottles, vases, and hood ornaments during the early twentieth century. Following the death of ...

glass. Clients can create their own personalised perfume during the Tarinology fragrance course workshop. * The Fragonard Perfumery was established in 1926 in one of the oldest factories in the city. Its museum displays rare objects that explain the history of perfumery, covering 5,000 years. * International Perfume Museum. Opened in 1989, the museum traces the evolution of techniques during the 5,000-year history of perfumery and the large contribution of the Grasse area to perfume making. It was renovated and expanded (doubling in size) between 2007 and 2008. * Perfume Art Creation, perfumed art-producing company combining authentic fragrances from Grasse, and an

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

based in

Zollikerberg Zollikon is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Meilen District in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland known for being one of Switzerland's most exclusive districts. Besides the main settlement of Zollikon, which lies on the shore of L ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Its fragrance-infused artworks and paintings are the copyright concept of Perfume Art Creation, which allows the viewer visually to explore the artwork, to smell it, allowing for holistic stimulation of the senses. Working and creating commonly with the artists, the paintings are infused with the preferred collector's perfume and scent, and his or her individual or corporate fragrance is introduced into the art.

Population

Religion

The town is home to

Grasse Cathedral Grasse Cathedral, now the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Puy (), is a 12th-century Roman Catholic church located in Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes, France. The former cathedral is in the Romanesque architectural style, and is a national monument. As a cathe ...

, the seat of the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

former

Diocese of Grasse The former French Catholic diocese of Grasse was founded in the 4th or 5th century as the diocese of Antibes. It was originally suffragan to the archbishop of Aix, and then to the archbishop of Embrun. The see moved from Antibes to Grasse in 124 ...

which was headed by the Bishops of Grasse.

Education

The town is home to the

Lycée Amiral-de-Grasse In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

and since 2019 one of two seats of the higher education engineering college ECAM-EPMI.

Sport

RC Grasse Racing Club Pays de Grasse is a French association football club founded in 1959. Until 2022 they were known as Racing Club de Grasse. They are based in the town of Grasse and their home stadium is the Stade Jean Girard. Since the 2017–18 season ...

is the local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club, whereas RO Grasse the local

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club.

In popular culture

The town is the setting in the final chapters of the novel ''

Perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

'' by

Patrick Süskind Patrick Süskind (; born 26 March 1949) is a German writer and screenwriter, known best for his novel '' Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'', first published in 1985. Early life Süskind was born in Ambach, Bavaria. His father was writer and jour ...

. It was featured in the film based on the novel ''Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'' (2006).

Main sights

Three perfume factories offer daily tours and demonstrations, which draw in many of the region's visitors. In addition to the perfumeries, Grasse's other 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 Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of clas ...

and one by

Jean-Honoré Fragonard Jean-Honoré Fragonard (; 5 April 1732 (birth/baptism certificate) – 22 August 1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. One of the most prolific art ...

, the French painter native of the town. File:Grasse - Parfumerie 3.JPG, Grasse – Parfumerie File:Grasse, Parfumerie Molinard.jpg, Parfumerie Molinard File:Napoleon Memorial, Grasse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France - panoramio.jpg, Napoleon Memorial File:Fleur de jasmin.JPG, Fleur de jasmin File:France-002804 - Blessed Sacrament chapel (15816473130).jpg, Blessed Sacrament chapel File:Villa Musée Fragonard.jpg, Other sights include: * Saracen Tower, standing at 30m. * Monumental gate of the '' Hôtel de Ville'' (town hall) * International Museum of Perfume * ''Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence'' * Church of Plascassier, built in 1644 File:The Portal - panoramio.jpg, Monumental gate of the '' Hôtel de Ville'' File:18 rue Amiral de Grasse Entree de l'Hotel Court de Fontmichel.JPG, Hotel Court de Fontmichel File:Grasse palais des congrès2.jpg, Palais des congrès File:Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon, Grasse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France - panoramio (1).jpg, Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon File:France-002835 - Place aux Aires (people) (16004140382).jpg, Place aux Aires File:France-002830 - Side Street in Old Town (15382535214).jpg, Side street in Old Town

Notable people

Grasse was the birthplace of: *

Louis Bellaud Louis Bellaud also known as Bellaud de la Bellaudière (1543–1588) was an Occitan language writer and poet from Provence. Biography Bellaud was born in Grasse, the son of a nobleman who then settled in Aix-en-Provence, where he received h ...

(1543–1588), also known as Bellaud de la Bellaudière, poet * Claude-Marie Courmes (1770–1865), trader, shipowner and politician. Mayor of Grasse, deputy for Var and General Councilor of Var Canton of Grasse-Nord. *

Mélanie Bernier Mélanie Bernier (born 5 January 1985) is a French actress. She has appeared in several films, such as '' L'Assaut'' (2011), directed by Julien Leclerq, relating the hijacking of an Air France A300 in December 1994, and also in several televis ...

(born 1985), actress *

Adam Bessa Adam Bessa (born 1992) is a French-Tunisian actor, known for his roles in French and Hollywood productions such as Reda in '' The Blessed'' (2017), Kawa in ''Mosul'' (2019), soldier Yaz Kahn in '' Extraction'' (2020) and its 2023 sequel, and Ab ...

, (born 1992), actor *

Frédéric Bourdillon Frédéric Bourdillon (; born March 16, 1991) is a French-Israeli professional basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Standing at , he plays at the shooting guard position. Early life Bourdillon is Jewish, ...

(born 1991), French-Israeli basketball player in the

Israel Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

Jacques Cavallier Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud (born 24 January 1962) is a French perfumer, formerly with the Swiss fragrance and flavor company Firmenich, who currently works for Louis Vuitton of the LVMH Luxury Group. He has created or collaborated in the cre ...

(born 1962), perfumer * Albert Charpin (1842–1924), painter *

Olivier Cresp Olivier Cresp (born 1955) is a French perfumer. Olivier Cresp was born in Grasse, France in 1955. His sister is fellow perfumer Françoise Caron. His father and grandfather both traded in the raw materials used in making perfume. Cresp has been ...

(born 1955), perfumer *

Jean-Claude Ellena Jean-Claude Ellena (born 1947) is a French perfumer and writer. He served as the in-house perfumer at Hermes from 2004 to 2016, prior to the appointment of incumbent Christine Nagel. He has collaborated with other major brands such as Van Cle ...

(born 1947), perfumer *

Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard (26 October 1780 – 10 November 1850) was a French painter and sculptor in the troubadour style. He received his first training from his father and drew from him his piquant subjects and great facility, perfecting ...

(1780–1850), painter and sculptor *

(1732–1806), painter *

Jean Claude Gandur Jean Claude Gandur (born 18 February 1949) is a French-born Swiss businessman, philanthropist and art collector. Early life Jean Claude Gandur was born in Grasse, France in 1949. He spent his childhood in Alexandria, Egypt until the age of 12, w ...

(born 1949), businessman *

Gazan de la Peyrière Gazan typically refers to a resident of the Gaza Strip. It may also refer to: * Gazan, Natanz, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * Gazan, Semirom, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * Gazan, Kermanshah, a village in Kermanshah Province, Iran ...

(1765–1845), general during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

* Valentine Goby (born 1974), writer *

Marcel Journet Marcel Journet (25 July 1868 – 7 September 1933), was a French operatic bass. He enjoyed a prominent career in England, France and Italy, and appeared at the foremost American opera houses in New York City and Chicago. Biography Journet wa ...

(1868–1933), operatic baritone * Vincent Koziello (born 1995), footballer *

Eugénie Le Sommer Eugénie Anne Claudine Le Sommer-Dariel (born 18 May 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Première Ligue club Lyon and the France national team. She primarily plays as a creative attacking midfielder and left ...

(born 1989), footballer *

Pierre-Louis Lions Pierre-Louis Lions (; born 11 August 1956) is a French mathematician. He is known for a number of contributions to the fields of partial differential equations and the calculus of variations. He was a recipient of the 1994 Fields Medal and the 19 ...

(born 1956), mathematician *

Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up ...

(born 1976), actor *

Michèle Mouton Michèle Hélène Raymonde Mouton (born 23 June 1951) is a French former rally driver. Competing in the World Rally Championship for the Audi factory team, she took four victories and finished runner-up in the drivers' world championship in 198 ...

(born 1951), rally driver *

Charles Pasqua Charles Victor Pasqua (18 April 192729 June 2015) was a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's ''cohabitation'' government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government ...

(1927–2015), businessman and politician *

Thomas Pinault Thomas Pinault (born 4 December 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Colchester United, Grimsby Town and Brentford, and his native country for Cannes and RC Grasse. Career Colch ...

(born 1981), footballer *

Théo Pourchaire Théo Jérôme Julien Pourchaire (; born 20 August 2003) is a French people, French racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with Algarve Pro Racing. He is the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, 2023 Formula 2 champion, ...

(born 2003), racing driver Bar-le-Duc - Statue du comte de Grasse -295

Grasse was the death place of: *

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...

(1921–1999), actor, lived in Grasse *

Ivan Bunin Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin ( or ; rus, Ива́н Алексе́евич Бу́нин, p=ɪˈvan ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ ˈbunʲɪn, a=Ivan Alyeksyeyevich Bunin.ru.vorb.oga; – 8 November 1953)Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

, 1933; lived in Grasse *

Christian Calmes Christian Calmes (11 July 1913 – 5 July 1995) was a Luxembourgish civil servant, lawyer, and historian. He served as Secretary-General of the precursor to the Council of the European Union from its inception as part of the European Coal and Ste ...

(1913–1995), Luxembourgish civil servant, lawyer and historian *

François Joseph Paul de Grasse François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly, KM (13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788) was a French Navy officer. He is best known for his crucial victory over the Royal Navy at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 during t ...

(1723–1788) admiral, commanded of the French fleet at the

Battle of the Chesapeake The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American Revolutionary War that took place near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1 ...

, which led directly to the

Siege of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Ma ...

. *

David Douglas Duncan David Douglas Duncan (January 23, 1916 – June 7, 2018) was an American photojournalist, known for his dramatic combat photographs, as well as for his extensive domestic photography of Pablo Picasso and his wife Jacqueline. Childhood and educa ...

(1916–2018), American photojournalist *

Prince Eugen of Bavaria Prince Eugen of Bavaria () (16 July 1925 – 1 January 1997) was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach. Early life Prince Eugen was born in Munich and was the only son of Prince Konrad of Bavaria and his wife Princess Maria B ...

(1925–1997), member of the Bavarian Royal House of

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...

Lolo Ferrari Lolo Ferrari (born Ève Valois; 9 February 1963 – 5 March 2000) was a French dancer, actress, and singer billed as "the woman with the largest breast implants in the world". She entered the international limelight in 1995, appearing in the F ...

(1963–2000), dancer, actress and singer with breast implants *

Édith Piaf Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popu ...

(1915–1963), singer *

Frederic Prokosch Frederic Prokosch (May 17, 1906 – June 2, 1989) was an American writer, known for his novels, poetry, memoirs and criticism. He was also a distinguished translator. Biography Prokosch was born in Madison, Wisconsin, into an intellectual family ...

(1906–1989), American writer * Yvonne Rozille (1900–1985), film actress *

Eugène Sémérie Eugène Sémérie (6 January 1832, Aix-en-Provence – 3 May 1884, Grasse) was a French doctor and writer involved with the positive movement. In 1870 Sémérie was one of the founders of the Positivist Club, which was set up following the procl ...

(1832–1884), positivist activist Other notables associated with Grasse: *

Gérard Philipe Gérard Philipe () (born Gérard Albert Philip, 4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor who appeared in 32 films between 1944 and 1959. He came to prominence during the later period of the poetic realism movement o ...

(1922–1959), actor, brought up in Grasse *

Alice Charlotte von Rothschild Alice Charlotte von Rothschild (17 February 1847 – 3 May 1922), otherwise referred to as 'Miss Alice', was a socialite and member of the Rothschild banking family of Austria. Born in Frankfurt, she was the eighth and youngest child of Anselm ...

(1847–1922), patron of the arts; art collection was donated to the town of Grasse *

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

(1866–1946), British writer

Twin towns – sister cities

Grasse is twinned with: *

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...

, Germany, since 1963 *

Carrara Carrara ( ; ; , ) is a town and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey Carrara marble, marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, ...

, Italy, since 1995 *

Vila Real, Portugal Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the Norte, Portugal, North region, Portugal. It is also the seat of the Douro (intermunicipal community), Douro Intermunicipal communities of Portugal, intermunicipal comm ...

, since 1975 *

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

, Spain, since 1990 *

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, along the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsu ...

, USA, since 1986 *

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

, Poland, since 1964 *

Kazanlak Kazanlak ( , known as Seuthopolis () in ancient times, is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, town in Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria. It is located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, Balkan mo ...

, Bulgaria *

Pardes Hanna-Karkur Pardes Hanna-Karkur () is a town in the Haifa District of Israel. In it had a population of . It has been characterized as having a hipster culture. History An Arab village named Karkur had stood at this location by the time the Palestine Ex ...

, Israel

References

External links

* *
Grasse city council website
(in French) * {{Authority control Communes of Alpes-Maritimes French Riviera Subprefectures in France