The Ochre-Red Village of Rousillon, France
The French commune of Roussillon is located in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, roughly midway between Avignon and
Aix-en-Provence. Situated in the heart of one of the biggest ochre
deposits in the world, Roussillon is famous for its magnificent red
cliffs and ochre quarries. Ochre is a natural dye derived from clay
containing hydrated iron oxide that has been used as paint since
prehistoric times. Ochre clays have been used medicinally in early
Egypt, an example of which is found in the Ebers Papyrus dating to about
1550 BC. Ochre is also used as pigments to color houses, clothes, and
bodies.
The ochre deposits provide a natural reddish-brown hue
to the entire village. The ochre façades of the houses are magnificent -
shades vary subtly from light yellow to dark red, set off by the
brightly painted shutters and doors. The red, yellow and brown shades of
the houses form a striking contrast with the lush green pine trees.
Situated at the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse in the Luberon, Roussillon
is classified as one the most beautiful villages in France.
During
the 18th century the demand for ochre rose when the pigments found use
in the textile industry, and the mining of ochres in Roussillon
intensified. As many as seventeen different shades of dye were
manufactured from the local rock during the 18th and 19th centuries and
into the 20th. The ochre business was at its best towards the end of the
19th century and ochre from Roussillon was exported all over the world.
Mining was stopped in 1930 in order to protect the sites from
degradation or even complete destruction, but the history and
nitty-gritty of the ochre dye-making industry is detailed in the
Conservatoire des Ocres et des Pigments Appliqués within the village.
Numerous quarries and ochre factories can still be seen today.
