Roussillon's extraordinary palette comes directly from the ground beneath it. The area holds one of the largest deposits of natural ochre pigment in Europe, and for over a century the village economy revolved around mining, processing and exporting that pigment to colorists and craftspeople across the continent. By the twentieth century industrial production had largely replaced the local trade, but the quarries and the deeply colored earth that defines every wall in the village remain. The site is now protected, and the old mining paths have been preserved as a walking trail open to visitors.

The warm months of May through September bring long light and clear skies, making late afternoon the ideal time to catch this kind of glow on Roussillon's south-facing walls.