Old Town, Grasse

The elongated Place aux Aires in Grasse is where the lively market is held every morning and also has a fountain. On the north side of the square stands the elegant Hôtel Isnard which was built by the wealthy Gerber Isnard (1781).

From the Place aux Aires following the Rue Amiral de Grasse southwards to the Place du Cours, there is a pleasant view over the parts of the town lower down and into the valley.

In a curve of the street can be seen the pretty red facade of the Perfumery Museum. The Perfumery Museum was opened in 1989 and has many exhibits - from ancient times until the present day - illustrating the history and production of perfumes. Adjoining is a research and documentation center and on the roof a garden of scented plants has been laid out.To the south the Parfumerie Fragonard, on the ground floor of which is a very interesting museum about the history of the perfumery industry since ancient times, and a collection of perfumes of Grasse. The basement houses part of the production process and can be visited.

It was here that J-H. Fragonard withdrew in 1791 after he had lost his aristocratic customers through the French Revolution. On the staircase can be seen Grisaille pictures by Alexandre-Evariste, Fragonard's son, good copies of paintings by J-H. Fragonard which were done for the Countess du Barry, the mistress of Louis XV (the originals are now privately owned and in the USA), and other members of the family.

In rue Mirabeau stands the former Hôtel de Clapiers-Cabris, a stately palace of 1771. It now houses the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence with historic furniture, ceramics and a collection devoted to the history of the town.

To the northeast behind the Museum of Provençal Art and history and right in the center of the Old Town of Grasse stands the three-aisled Cathedral of Notre-Dame, originally 12th-13th C. and extended in the 17th and 18th C. The architecture shows influence by Lombardy and Liguria. Inside the church, which looks ancient because of its walls of great ashlar blocks, can be seen three paintings by P. P. Rubens (1601) - "Christ crowned with Thorns", "The Crucifixion" and "St Helena", a remarkable representation of the "Washing of Feet" by J. H. Fragonard, one of the rare religious paintings by this master of Roccoco, and the Altar of St Honorat which has been attributed to Bréa.To the north, opposite the church, stands the Ancien Evêché, the former bishop's palace, built in the 13th C. and later considerably altered; it is now the Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville). From the Place du 24 Aot which adjoins the church there is a fine view over the valley.