Grasse, world’s perfume capital

In the heart of Provence, a small city shines: Grasse, with its exquisite species, now enjoys a worldwide reputation in the field of perfumery. Classified city of art by the French National Monuments centre and declared World Capital  perfume, this old medieval city has for centuries, flowers of exceptional quality and a unique expertise in their transformation.

The perfume in Grasse: an ancestral tradition

Former town specialized in trading hides and tanning during the Middle Ages, it was during the Renaissance that the perfume appears in Grasse: the aristocrats complaining about the strong smell of their gloves, tanners  begin to flavor them with oils extracted from local flowers. The perfume fashion industry is launched in Grasse and will grow exponentially throughout the centuries.

The flowers of the French Riviera,  treasures of Grasse

Grasse as well as the rest of the French Riviera, enjoys an exceptional microclimate giving the flowers a subtle and unmistakable fragrance. Throughout the year, the flowers are traditionally picked by hand and transported to the Grasse factories where their essences are extracted. In January and February, we pick mimosa; and in March, it is the violet; in April and May is the orange flower harvest, and  from May to June, the May Rose (Rose centifolia); Jasmine meanwhile, is picked from August, and tuberose, until November.

The harvest periods often result of festivals such as Exporose (in May) and the Jasmine festival (in August), flower whose quality is incomparable to other jasmines in the world. It is also the only jasmine used by Chanel in the compostiion of its famous perfume Chanel n5.

The famous artisans perfumers of Grasse

In Grasse, there are dozens of factories and perfume prodcution workshops, installed between the small and shady medieval alleys with Provençal charm. The most famous are Galimard, perfume precursor dating from 1747, Molinard, artisan perfumer since 1849, Fragonard, since 1926  and Guy Bouchara. Each perfumery is a factory-museum in which visitors can test their “nose” and understand the transformation of flowers, from the distillation to enfleurage. Some also offer to perfume lovers  to make their own fragrance. A nice idea for a Valentine’s Day gift …