From past experience you can be confident that you won’t be disappointed when visiting one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, and yesterday was no exception when we spent a rewarding few hours in the ochre-red village of Roussillon.
It isn’t just the colourful buildings and medieval streets that is a feast for the eyes. There is also some gorgeous countryside to view around the rugged red cliffs and through the lush green pine forest, autumn leafed trees and carpets of crunchy leaves.
We set off for Roussillon, on the edge of the Plateau de Vaucluse in Provence, a destination where we can take advantage of the sunny warm day (21 C) with plenty to see and do outdoors. We find much to admire and photograph from the moment we leave the car and start walking through the back streets into the centre of the small village.
Some intriguing man caves there
We follow the red-brick road
Streetart Roussillon style
Roussillon is in the centre of the biggest ochre deposit in Europe, and the flaming shades of the red stone buildings and red tiled roofs are reflected back in the red sandy ground, the rocky hillsides and the autumn leaves. It does make me recall the pretty village of Collonges-La-Rouge (also one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France) in the Limousin region we went to a couple of times when staying in the Dordogne many years ago. Collonges-La-Rouge is built entirely of red sandstone and has a more delicate beauty than the simple but striking facades in Roussillon.
Ochre is a natural pigment that is in the sandy soil which makes up the surrounding cliffs and Roussillon was Europe’s capital for ochre production until World War II. Iron oxides colour the sands with bold shades ranging from yellow to violet. How the colours came to be in the ochre sands is still somewhat of a mystery, although it’s known that the mineral goethite is involved.
There is an old tale that provides some explanation:
There was a Lady Sermonde and Lord Raymond d’Avignon who lived in the castle in Roussillon. A page, Guillaume de Cabestan, was taken on at Roussillon castle to work and learn knightly ways. Raymond d’Avignon preferred the company of his horses and huntsmen, and often left his wife alone. In time Lady Sermonde and Guillaume fell in love. The young page’s songs about his love became more insistent and obvious, and the staff at the castle reported their suspicions to Lord Raymond d’Avignon. Lord Raymond invited young Guillaume on a hunting party and asked him directly about his love. So as not to betray Lady Sermonde, Guillaume told Lord Raymond that indeed he was in love, but with Lady Sermonde’s sister, Agnès. Raymond d’Avignon decided to travel to the nearby town of Tarascon with Guillaume to confirm Guillaume’s story. Agnès quickly understood all that was at stake, and to save the two lovers, she played along. Lady Sermonde learned of her husband’s actions, and was furious with his behaviour and indignant that her love for Guillaume went unacknowledged. She demanded that Guillaume tell their story in one of his songs. Guillaume sang of their love, and on hearing Raymond d’Avignon flew into a rage and took his revenge. During a hunting party, he stabbed Guillaume in the back, cut off his head, and cut out his heart. He returned to the castle with the heart and had his cook prepare it with a spicy sauce. Lady Sermonde enjoyed the dish, until her husband informed her that she had just dined on the heart of her lover. “Seigneur”, she said, “you have given me such a good meal, that I never want to taste anything else again.” Raymond d’Avignon drew his sword, but Lady Sermonde fled out of the castle to the edge of the cliff, and threw herself over the top. It is said that her blood coloured the lands all around, and that a spring gushed forth at the point where her fall ended.
In the village square
After we explore the village we walk down to the south end and cross the road to the cliff side. We come first to the cemetery and see the graves set in the red sandy soil.
A look back at the village before starting the trail
Walking the Sentier des Ocres de Roussillon
We want to see more of the ochre deposits so take a walk along one of the two trails of the Sentier des Ocres de Roussillon in an area long ago quarried and now left to nature. The colours are reminiscent of Uluru in Australia.
Some helpful advice is given in the tourist brochure should your clothes become tainted with the red dirt – brush and wash in cold water. We see some young boys running gleefully through the sandy hills and inevitably one falls over emerging with red knees and hands.
Our walk starts and ends in the same place, with a loop through the forest and taking in some marvellous panoramic views.
This fantasy-like landscape has had nicknames in the past like fairy chimneys, giants’ causeway and needles circus
Afterwards we head back into the village for lunch on a terrace, and I can’t resist the aptly named Salade d’Ocres, a curried chicken salad.
We drive back home through another beautiful hilltop village of Gordes and stop to look at some unbelievable views, however will save these for another post as there is already a surfeit to take in for one day.
Footnote: Samuel Beckett moved to Roussillon in October 1942 and lived there until 1945. In his book Waiting for Godot, Beckett’s character Vladimir references Roussillon.
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