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It's
hard to do justice to the unique splendour of Roussillon.
You
can say that there are 17 shades of ochre daubed across
the houses of the village, drawn from the palette of the
old ochre quarry next door.
But
that doesn't do justice to the flamboyant, technicolor glory
of Roussillon, the reds, yellows, oranges and pinks that
merge one into the other as you wander around the spiralling
streets. Or the stunning contrast of the green of the pine
trees or the blue sky against the red cliffs.
Roussillon
is on a ridge of steep red cliff, as if everything around
but the village has been clawed away over the years.
if
you walk up to the Castrum at the top you get some wonderful
panoramic views across the valley to the Grand Luberon,
the slopes of Mont Ventoux, and the plateau of the Vaucluse.
As
you approach Roussillon you notice that the fields have
turned reddish orange, as if you are wearing the wrong sunglasses.
The ochre this land is made of is a natural pigment that
was used in paints. Roussillon's ochre quarry was one of
the most significant ochre deposits in the world.
But
times move on and real ochre is no longer in use. This means
you can explore the disused quarry which is best described
as other-worldly. Perhaps like Mars if it had cliffs and
caverns, steeples and ridges. Certainly something very different
that you will not forget.
The
quarry is a starting point for a footpath that continues
for 15km to the Colorado de Rustrel quarry. Colorado de
Rustrel is a similarly spectacular natural event. This is
a great walk (but bear in mind that the red dust will colour
your shoes!)
For
all this beauty you pay a price. In the summer, Roussillon
is very busy unless you get there early or late. Out of
the high season, it is a wonderful place to visit. In the
main square are several restaurants with tables on the square
or striking views out the back.
In
the 1950s the noted American sociologist Laurence Wylie
brought his family to live here for a year, and to observe
village life. As a result he wrote the book A Village in
the Vaucluse in 1957, a study of the interactions of a small,
intimate, and as it was then, a very rural village. It is
a charming and interesting book, well worth reading. Note
that he changes the name of Roussillon to Peyranne in the
book.
You
can get hold of a copy of this book here if you are in the
USA: A
Village in the Vaucluse
or
here in the UK: A
Village in the Vaucluse
And
elsewhere I don't know!
| Roussillon
is full of interesting, photogenic doorways and also
has many restaurants to choose from, several of them
clustered in the main square. |
What's
in Roussillon:
7 restaurants
3 bars
2 bakers
1 butcher
1 pharmacy
1 news/tabac
Market
day is Thursday mornings.
Roussillon
restaurants
Roussillon
must have more restaurants per head of population than any
other Luberon village. Most are clustered around the square
near the top of the village. A little lower down, with its
dining room sailing out into the ochre void, is the more
upmarket David. There is a good choice and you'll find a
table to suit your tastes and budget. There is also a great
ice cream shop, just as you start walking up the hill towards
the ochre quarry and cemetery.
See
Luberon restaurant reviews here.
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Why
ochre?
The
official
story...
The ochre of Roussillon is there because of a complicated
story to do with the fact that many millions of years
ago the Luberon was at the bottom of the sea, and
now it isn't.
The
colour is caused by the mineral goethite (named after
the German writer Goethe, who was a keen mineralogist),
but just why it causes so many different shades is
unknown.
For
more detail on this and everything to do with ochre
production, you can go to Le
Conservatoire des Ocres et Pigments Appliqués
(Ochre and Applied Pigments Conervatory), which is
an old ochre factory turned information centre
The
truth...
That's
the official version anyway. The truth is far more
interesting. In the Middle Ages a young damsel named
Sermonde was married to Raymond d'Avignon, who was
the lord of Roussillon. Raymond spent most of his
time hunting, and in the long interludes Sermonde
fell in love with a local troubadour (somewhere
between a touble-maker and a musician).
When
Raymond found out about this, he did what anyone would
do - he cut the troubadour's heart out and served
it to Sermonde for dinner without telling her. And
then he did tell her. When Sermonde learnt that she
really was 'heart to heart' with her lover, she threw
herself from the top of Roussillon. The earth all
around runs red with her blood for all time.
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