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Grasse, world’s perfume capital since the Middle-ages

Grasse, world’s perfume capital since the Middle-ages

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Home Page > Travel > Destinations > Grasse, world’s perfume capital since the Middle-ages

Grasse, world’s perfume capital since the Middle-ages

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Posted: May 27, 2010 |Comments: 0
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Grasse is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department, on the French Riviera. The town is considered to be the world’s perfume capital. In the Middle-ages, the city of Grasse specialized itself in leather tanning, and acquired an excellent reputation in this field of activity. In order to make these often foul-smelling leather products more attractive to the aristocracy, Grasse started producing perfumes. The use of perfumes spread very quickly and the French royal court gave Grasse a worldwide reputation.

Nowadays, the perfume industry is still the city’s main industrial activity. A network of about 60 companies and their 3500 employees perpetuates this hundred-year-old tradition. The perfume industry in Grasse goes every step of the way, from the production of raw materials, their transformation into perfume and their packaging. The perfume producers of Grasse are some of the most prestigious in the world; each of them has its own production site and museum, and is a member of the French perfume committee and of the French perfumery federation.

Galimard, which is the oldest perfume company in Grasse, was created in 1747 by Jean de Galimard, Lord of Seranon. He provided the court of King Louis XV with olive oils, ointments and perfumes he had designed himself. The Galimard perfumery has followed this tradition since its creation and still uses the processes which gave the company its reputation. Just like in the first days, the employees of Galimard harvest in the neighbouring nature jasmine, roses, lavender, orange blossom and tuberose and capture rich scents with ancient methods, the only one that can guarantee the incomparable delicacy of these oils.

Molinard, founded in 1849 in Grasse, is the second oldest producer and has remained until now a family business. In 1860, Molinard created new perfumes called “Jasmine”, “Rose”, “Mimosa” and “Violet”, in elegant glass bottles. In 1891, Queen Victoria stayed in Grasse and bought Eaux de Cologne there. In the early 20th century, the company grew and attracted ever more rich English and Russians merchants, who came all the way to France to buy these subtle perfumes. Indeed, Molinar’s perfumes are made out of more than 600 different components, which took years of research to find and elaborate. The perfumer must keep the smell and its strength into account, but must also pay attention to its volatility and its effect on the skin. Nowadays, Molinard is most renowned perfume companies in the world.

The Fragonard perfumery, created in 1926 by Eugene Fuchs, focuses itself on the direct sale of perfumed products to the tourists enjoying the charms of the French Riviera. The name is a tribute to Jean-Honore Fragonard, a famous painter of the XVIIth century from Grasse. Fragornard is also one of the most important local perfumeries. Its premises are located in one of the oldest factories of the city. Its museum exhibits objects of the perfumery’s history that are more than 5000 years old. This activity gives Fragonard, owned by the Costa de Beauregard family, an undisputable cultural dimension.

It is very easy to go to Grasse, as the town is only 23 miles away from Nice, 12 miles away from Cannes. The city is served by train and buses departing from the railway stations and airports of these two cities.

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Matthieu Cany -
About the Author:

Matthieu Cany is Managing Director of Sextant French Property

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