28/04/2026
In the hills above the Mediterranean, the town of Grasse has long been celebrated as the world capital of perfume. Here, the history of perfume is inseparable from a very small number of botanical treasures. Among the thousands of rose varieties cultivated around the world, only two have truly secured a lasting place in the raw materials of fine perfumery: the Rosa damascena, mostly grown in Bulgaria and Turkey, and the Rosa centifolia (the “hundred-petaled rose”), also known as the May rose, which has found in Grasse an ideal terroir. The region’s mild climate, abundant sunshine, and well-drained soils created the perfect conditions for cultivating roses with a rich and complex aromatic profile. As a result of this unique terroir and the historical specialization of Grasse in perfumery, Rosa centifolia is also commonly referred to as the “Rose de Grasse”.
The bloom of the Rosa centifolia is both fleeting and precious. Each May, the harvest briefly transforms the landscape around Grasse. The flowers are picked by hand at dawn, when their scent is at its most intense. The yield remains extremely low: several tons of petals are needed to produce just one kilogram of rose absolute. This rarity explains both the high cost and the enduring prestige of Grasse rose in haute parfumerie.
Today, major perfume houses continue to source Rosa centifolia from the region of Grasse, maintaining close relationships with local growers. The “Rose de Grasse” is far more than a simple crop—it represents a living heritage shaped by centuries of agricultural adaptation, technical refinement, and artistic creation. This heritage is not confined to history books: in the surrounding countryside, visitors can still witness it firsthand, as fields of roses bloom each spring, offering a sensory landscape that has changed little over time.
