The Fête de la couleur for the 102 years of the Mathieu factory
The Mathieu ochre factory was built in 1921 and it has enjoyed a decade of expansion before knowing, like the other factories, the end of the industrial era of ochre. The machines were dismantled in 1956, the buildings abandoned and the washes used until 1978, as evidenced by the photos of Anne Deshayes-Chauveau. In 1993, the discovery of this industrial wasteland by a young couple, will give birth in 1994 to ôkhra, created in partnership with the municipality of Roussillon. The Conservatoire de la couleur received its first visitor in July 1995 and the new Mathieu factory has since grown into an eco-museum of ochre in 2020. For the 102 years of the factory, the «Fête de la couleur», with the organization of a large colorful picnic will be the opportunity for the local population to regain its heritage. With the participation of Roussillonnaises associations that make the village live all year round, this moment of exchange and conviviality is an invitation to share recipes, souvenirs, anecdotes and to taste the three colors of local wine productions and fruit juices. Everyone is invited to bring food according to his family recipes and to dress according to the color of his mood. A living heritage is a heritage that is lived and shared.