L'Essence de Grasse - GRAS134

Since the 16th century, Grasse has cultivated the flower and the art of distillation. Centifolia rose, jasmine, tuberose: its hills have fed the great perfume houses — Fragonard, Galimard, Molinard — which are still in operation just a few minutes from the villa.

On a hillside in Grasse, the world capital of perfume, L'Essence de Grasse has stood since 1892. Built by a perfumer, it still sports its original Italianate silhouette: a belvedere tower, a run of arches, a perfectly symmetrical façade turned toward the light. Nothing is for show; everything is a matter of balance and light.

In the late nineteenth century, Grasse was living the golden age of perfumery. This residence was built to the measure of its art: elegant, restrained, open to the hills where roses and jasmine once grew.

Carefully restored, L'Essence de Grasse now welcomes up to ten guests across five bedrooms. But what brings people here is simpler than that — the calm of its tall rooms, the shade of its olive trees, and the rare feeling of living inside a house with a history. A product of La Belle Époque, the house carries the quiet confidence of its time. Tall rooms, generous windows, sightlines drawn toward the old town — the unhurried art of Provençal living, still alive within its walls.

This property understands l'Art de Vivre. Whether it's breakfast on the terrace with views of the town and the ringing of distance church bells, long afternoons by the pool or in the shade of the olive tree with a book and a glass of something cold to hand, or dining al fresco with the lights of Grasse spread below; the rhythm and ambience have not altered in 150 years.

The kitchen is the heart of the house. You cook with what you bring back from the market, open a bottle facing the view, and let the conversation linger long after dinner. (Chef service etc available).