province. It is built with the usual rough-faced ashlar work, but its other distinctive features are now lost, the interior being occupied as dwelling-rooms. This tower adjoins the ancient Bishop’s Palace, now the Municipal Buildings. Near this--and, indeed, scattered everywhere through the narrow and busy streets of Grasse--are [Illustration: FIG. 190. STAIRCASE, GRASSE.] to be seen many fragments of the massive architecture of its ancient palaces. These are easily distinguished from their being built with the same rough-faced, solid masonry as the tower; and they often still retain a door or window of pointed form, recalling the older palaces occasionally found in the similar crowded lanes of Genoa. There are also some examples in Grasse of the great houses of the merchant princes of the Renaissance period, so distinctive of the Italian cities. The picturesque staircase of one of these is still preserved (Fig. 190). This building stands at the east end of one of the charming open “places,” surrounded with arcades, planted with trees, and enlivened with fountains, in which Grasse abounds, and which form such attractive subjects for the artist. In one of the narrow streets stands the Church of the “Oratoire,” (Fig. 191), the strikingly Italian façade of which at once arrests attention. It is evidently a building of the fifteenth century, and is exactly such a design as may be found in any of the cities of Northern Italy. The annexed sketch (Fig. 192) of one of the caps of the main piers is suggestive, and corresponds with similar details of the same period in Italy. [Illustration: FIG. 191. CHURCH OF THE ORATOIRE, GRASSE.] From Grasse several very interesting excursions may be made, and a number of ancient buildings investigated. A very fine, although a long day’s expedition, is the drive to St Césaire and Callian. The former is reached by a side road, which branches off the main road to Draguignon, about six miles west of Grasse, and after a climb of three miles further up amongst the mountains finally arrives at St Césaire, beyond which all progress westwards is stopped on the crest of the great cliffs which hem in the gorge of the Siagne. [Illustration: FIG. 192. FROM L’ORATOIRE, GRASSE.] [Illustration: FIG. 193. ST CÉSAIRE, ANCIENT GATEWAY.] It is therefore necessary to return to the main road, itself sufficiently winding and romantic, along which a further course of eight to nine miles conducts to Montauroux and Callian. The whole journey there and back to Grasse thus extends to about thirty-seven miles, but can easily be accomplished in one day with a pair of the hardy ponies of the country. The main road from Grasse descends by numerous wide loops towards the valley, and skirts the lofty mountains on the right, where several picturesque looking villages are seen clustering on the hillsides.