The cathedral of Grasse is located at the top of the Puy hill, hence its name: Cathedral Notre Dame du Puy. Saint Mary’s church is mentioned in a text for the first time in 1154.
The episcopal seat was then in Antibes, and from 1228, due to Moorish raids, epidemics, and the then unhealthy climate of this city, the bishop moved to Grasse. In 1244, Grasse officially became the new episcopal seat.
The choice of Grasse was strategic; let us not forget, communication routes avoided the coastline. Grasse is at the heart of a road junction, towards the west and Draguignan, towards the east and Nice, and the north with Castellane.
The bishopric depends on the archbishopric of Embrun. It was in the 12th century that the construction of this cathedral and the episcopal residence began. Originally, the crypt did not exist, and one accessed Notre Dame du Puy through three doors: the forecourt and one on each side.
In the 18th century, with the crypt, the side accesses were closed off, and the forecourt was modified with a double staircase, and two bays were opened to illuminate the crypt. This building is a transition between Romanesque and Gothic art.
The façade, very influenced by the Lombard style, is notable. The symbolism of numbers is expressed with the twelve pillars of the nave. In the 17th century, the choir was rearranged, and above the aisles of the nave, the galleries were built in 1692.
At the dawn of the 18th century, Baroque was introduced into the choir. The chapel of the Holy Sacrament dates from 1738. The cathedral of Grasse is a museum due to the richness of its artworks: paintings by Brea, Rubens, and Fragonard, liturgical objects, and statues.
An academician: Antoine Godeau was the bishop of Grasse in 1636. He died in Vence in 1672, the year when this city, also episcopal, lost its episcopal status and was attached to Grasse.
The bishopric with its 12th-century square tower is today the town hall.
Thierry Jan.
