Grasse, town, Alpes-Maritime dept.,
SE France. Probably founded in Roman times, Grasse was a commercial center
during the Middle Ages. Destroyed many times by the Saracens, it was an independent
republic from the 12th cent. until its union with the earldom of Provence in
1226. In 1536 the town was destroyed by Francis I to prevent the advance of
Emperor Charles V. Surrounded by fields of flowers and rose gardens, Grasse
is a center of the French perfume industry. Points of interest include a
splendid early Gothic cathedral (12th cent.); a town hall built partially in
the Middle Ages; and a museum containing paintings by Jean-Honoré
Fragonard, who was born in Grasse.
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