Provençal city of Grasse (Fountain de la Fu and Notre Dame de Puy Cathedral) Automatic translate

In the Provençal city of Grasse (north of the Cote d’Azur) at the end of Boulevard du Dé de Ballon today is a roundabout with a small lawn in the middle. Once there was a fountain of de la Fu, which today is only reminded of the name of the square - Place de la Foux.

If, standing with your back to the center of Grasse, you go a little further, then right next to the travel agency you can see a decorative sign indicating the source from which water flowed into the fountain

Until the very end of the 19th century, the city received drinking water exclusively from the source of de la Fu. It was, so to speak, the valve of a huge natural reservoir located approximately between the settlements of Cabri, Kosol, Grasse and Châteauneuf. Some of the water from the source went into the fountain, but most of it went to the city washing bridges (the old equivalent of today’s laundries). Then Water flowed through the waterways to the mills, factories and fields.

The Grasse Cathedral of Notre Dame de Puy stands on a rocky plateau and is visible from afar. Even without a bell tower (a unique phenomenon in architecture), it rises above the city. The cathedral was built in the 13th century, when the episcopal residence was moved from the city of Antibes to Grasse. It is easy to imagine that a wall of white limestone 1.7 meters thick was once part of powerful city fortifications. One tower of that time has survived: initially it was twice as high as today.

In the XVII XVIII centuries, the cathedral was repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. Despite this, he retained his original Romanesque appearance. During the French Revolution, the cathedral housed a feed warehouse.

In a high interior with a cross vault it is quite dark, rough stone walls are practically not decorated. Three early paintings by Rubens hang in the southern side nave. The artist wrote them in 1600 for a Roman church, which, however, refused them. First they got to the Grasse hospital, which, of course, is not very prestigious for an artist of this level, and in 1972 they were hung out in the cathedral, in addition, here you can see the only religious painting by Grasse native Jean-Honore Flagon - “Washing the feet”.

Near the cathedral stands the former bishop’s palace, and now the city hall - the Hotel de Ville. The road between the cathedral and the town hall leads to the square. It offers a good view of the valley. On clear days, you can see the Cote d’Azur and the Mediterranean Sea.