Roussillon: the most beautiful villages and the largest source of lead in the world

Roussillon: the most beautiful villages and the largest source of lead in the world

The town of Roussillon or Roussillon in the territory of the Alps Cote d'Azur South of France, which is one of the largest sources of lead oxide in the world, famous for its cliffs red wonderful Quarry ocher-colored, as classified due to its location at the foot of the mountains de Vaucluse (Monts de Vaucluse) and one of the most beautiful villages in France. 

Granted ocher colored rocks look fantastic for the village as a whole are mixed colors and facades of houses magnificent yellow and red colors of brown and green pine trees to paint a painting landscapes.

The lead oxide is a shiny red dye used to paint since prehistoric times and is currently used in paints houses, clothes, objects and surfaces of metals to prevent corrosion in the lubricant in the manufacture of glass and crystal. The ancient Egyptians used in making medicines. 

During the 18th century the demand for lead oxide in Roussillon when he began to use in the textile industry, the mining industry rebounded with him in the town. 

According to the website (frenchentree), has been manufacturing up to 17 different shades of dyes during the 18 th century and the 19th century. The total trade ocher peak late 19th century when the material was exported from Roussillon to all over the world.

In 1930, mining was stopped in order to protect the sites from degradation or complete destruction, but the history and the nitty-gritty of the dye industry in the region preserved in a museum Conservatoire des Ocres et des Pigments Appliqués. And still many of the quarries and factories mining ocher list to this day.