Impressions of Roussillon, a typical hilltop village with view on the ochre hills. Also known as the red village due to the fact that all houses, buildings and even gravestones are built of the reddish stone.
Now why is the ochre red?
The truth:
230 million years ago, Provence lay under the seas, and remained underwater for a long, long period.
Several thousand meters of sediments washed away from the surrounding land masses and slowly built up on the sea floor. This sediment later formed the white limestone so characteristic of this region. Then, approximately 110 million years ago, the sea grew deeper. Grey clay formed a new sediment which deposited on top of the limestone, creating a formation which geologists later called the “Aptian stratotype” .
Little by little the sea filled in. The water became very shallow and turbulent, and green sand containing small mineral grains known as glauconite settled on top of the grey clay.
Then, approximately 100 million years ago, major upheavals took place in the land masses around what is now Provence. Provence found itself totally out of the water.
The climate was tropical at the time. Strong and steady rainfall leached the green sands from the newly emerged land mass. The rain slowly transformed the green sand into ochre sands, then into white sand in several long steps. The minerals in this solution, such as kaolinite and goethite, crystallised and filled the empty spaces between the grains of sand, creating the ochre sands.
The red, yellow and orange colours in the ochre sands continue to be somewhat of a mystery. Goethite is involved, but what mechanisms has nature applied to create such a profusion of shades are still unknown.
Several thousand meters of sediments washed away from the surrounding land masses and slowly built up on the sea floor. This sediment later formed the white limestone so characteristic of this region. Then, approximately 110 million years ago, the sea grew deeper. Grey clay formed a new sediment which deposited on top of the limestone, creating a formation which geologists later called the “Aptian stratotype” .
Little by little the sea filled in. The water became very shallow and turbulent, and green sand containing small mineral grains known as glauconite settled on top of the grey clay.
Then, approximately 100 million years ago, major upheavals took place in the land masses around what is now Provence. Provence found itself totally out of the water.
The climate was tropical at the time. Strong and steady rainfall leached the green sands from the newly emerged land mass. The rain slowly transformed the green sand into ochre sands, then into white sand in several long steps. The minerals in this solution, such as kaolinite and goethite, crystallised and filled the empty spaces between the grains of sand, creating the ochre sands.
The red, yellow and orange colours in the ochre sands continue to be somewhat of a mystery. Goethite is involved, but what mechanisms has nature applied to create such a profusion of shades are still unknown.
The legend:
Lady Sermonde and Lord Raymond d'Avignon lived in the castle in Roussillon. Guillaume de Cabestan, son of the Lord of Cabestan in the Hautes Alpes was taken on at Roussillon castle to work as a page and to apprentice to a knight in order to learn knightly ways. Raymond d'Avignon, who was an avid hunter, preferred the company of his horses and huntsmen, and often left his wife alone. And with time, Dame Sermonde and Guillaume fell in love. The young page’s songs became more insistent and obvious, and the domestics at the castle reported their suspicions to Lord Raymond d'Avignon.
Wanting to know more about the situation, Lord Raymond invited young Guillaume on a hunting party, and turned the conversation to his wife. So as not to betray Dame Sermonde, Guillaume told Lord Raymond that indeed he was in love, but with Dame Sermonde’s sister, Agnès.
To be sure, Raymond d'Avignon decided to travel to the nearby town of Tarascon, with Guillaume, in order to have confirmation of Guillaume’s story. Agnès quickly understood all that was at stake, and to save the two lovers, she played along. Dame Sermonde learned of her husband’s actions, and was both 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, hearing the truth, 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.
Dame Sermonde delighted in the dish, until her husband informed her that she had just partaken in dining 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”.
Realising that his wife was escaping his control, Raymond d'Avignon drew his sword, but Dame 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.
Wanting to know more about the situation, Lord Raymond invited young Guillaume on a hunting party, and turned the conversation to his wife. So as not to betray Dame Sermonde, Guillaume told Lord Raymond that indeed he was in love, but with Dame Sermonde’s sister, Agnès.
To be sure, Raymond d'Avignon decided to travel to the nearby town of Tarascon, with Guillaume, in order to have confirmation of Guillaume’s story. Agnès quickly understood all that was at stake, and to save the two lovers, she played along. Dame Sermonde learned of her husband’s actions, and was both 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, hearing the truth, 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.
Dame Sermonde delighted in the dish, until her husband informed her that she had just partaken in dining 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”.
Realising that his wife was escaping his control, Raymond d'Avignon drew his sword, but Dame 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.
You choose which version you prefer.
And if you are in Roussillon and feel like an ice cream, go to So'Glace (9, place Abbé Avon, 84420 Roussillon) where Jerome Cellier makes excellent ice cream, more exactly gelati like in Italy. Sooooo good we went back again 1 week later.
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