Ôkhra, the Ecomuseum of Ochre

The former Camille Mathieu factory for making ochre pigments in Roussillon, Provence, is now Ôkhra, the Ecomuseum of Ochre. The factory produced about 1,000 tonnes of ochre a year between 1921 and 1963. After it was abandoned it became derelict but was restored and opened to the public in 1994 by a co-operative association. It was relaunched as an ecomuseum in 2020. Conservation of the site has allowed the presentation of the washing systems for the minerals, the kiln for roasting them and the mills for grinding the pigments. The technical history of production is placed in its local and international economic and cultural context. The museum offers guided tours and workshops where visitors can learn about colours and paints. Other walks and visits can be taken to explore the ochre resources of the region. A few kilometres away at Gargas are the extraordinary orange-coloured tunnels of the mines of Bruoux, which supplied the factory.