"Grasse had a thriving leather tanning industry which left a foul stench in the air that also lingered on the leather gloves that were the town's speciality. When commissioned to make a pair of gloves for the wife of King Henri II, Catherine de Medici, local tanner Jean de Galimard came up with the idea of perfumed gloves, steeping the leather in aromatic solutions and fragrant pastes."
"By the 17th century, perfumed gloves had become so popular it led to the growth of Glovers Perfumers guilds in Grasse who scrambled to meet demand and began to grow flowers to make perfume. Over time the glove making industry waned, and the perfume industry rocketed."
"Grasse became the place for perfume supplies and King Louis XIV who had his own perfumer, trained in the arts of blending scents, his supplies coming from Galimard in Grasse. And Napoleon loved his eau de cologne so much it's said he not only dabbed it but drank it, and always carried a small bottle in his boot."
Grasse, located 15km inland from Cannes, is renowned for its perfumes. Initially known for its leather tanning, the city transformed when perfumed gloves became popular in the 16th century. This led to the establishment of perfumer guilds and the cultivation of flowers for scent production. By the 17th century, the perfume industry flourished, especially as bathing became common in the 19th century. Grasse became a key supplier for notable figures like King Louis XIV and Napoleon, who had a fondness for fragrances.
Read at The Good Life France
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