An Inheritance of Passion and Resistance
The estate “Les Naysses” was the refuge and passion ground of Catherine Dior, sister of the famous fashion designer Christian Dior. Upon her arrival in the Pays de Fayence in 1935, while her family was facing ruin, Catherine was captivated by the fragrant beauty of the landscapes.
After World War II, where she was arrested for resistance activities and deported to Ravensbrück, she returned in 1959 to settle permanently in the region. She had the house at Les Naysses renovated and dedicated her life to the cultivation of fragrant plants.
A haven of flowers and traditions
On her 5.5 hectares of land, Catherine replants the centifolia roses and grandiflorum jasmines she had been forced to uproot during the war. She also maintains vineyards and olive trees, and establishes an ingenious irrigation system using water from the Camiole, following the practices of her brother Christian at La Colle Noire.
Passionate about her work, she actively participates in the preservation and development of the fragrance plant industry, regularly hosting meetings of the producers’ union at her home.
A place marked by an exceptional woman
Catherine cultivated this estate for fifty years, never concerned with profitability, solely driven by her love for flowers. Her last agricultural employee, Grégory, recalls:
“Catherine loved her flowers more than anything, she cared for them constantly and never ceased to tend to them, even when the farm wasn’t profitable. Money didn’t interest her; even when she was tired, the hard work didn’t scare her; what she wanted was the future of the industry.”
Today, the estate “Les Naysses” remains a place steeped in history, where the memory of an exceptional woman, both a resistance fighter and a lover of nature, still resonates.
