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Roussillon in the Luberon - Provence
The Ochre Quarries

Roussillon in the Luberon - Provence

A beautiful legend from the Middle Ages recounts the origins of this unique spot.


The young Lady Sermonde, wife of Raymond d'Avignon, the local seigneur, was neglected by her husband who was too preoccupied by hunting. She fell in love with a young troubadour, Guillaume de Cabestan. Raymond d'Avignon got wind of their affair, and mad with rage, he plotted a cruel revenge. He killed the troubadour and had his heart served to his wife during a meal. Lady Sermonde, having learned what had happened, threw herself off the cliff, her spilled blood coloring the hillside forever.


More prosaically, the spectacular landscape results mostly from the exploitation of ochre. This industry began in Roussillon at the end of the 18th century and reached its height in the beginning of the 20th, before being rapidly abandoned following the invention of synthetic colors.

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