The place through the years
The ocher ecomuseum occupies a former ocher processing site, the Camille Mathieu factory. Abandoned in the 1950s, it has been rehabilitated to become a place of history and discovery.
Centenary place
The site will celebrate its 100 years since the creation date in 1921.
New Identity
ôkhra adopts a new name for the old Mathieu ocher factory in Roussillon, Provence. Previously named Conservatory of Ocher and Color, you can now call it Ecomuseum of Ocher.
Open to the public
After a call for applications, in 1995, the Ôkhra association was selected. It has signed an affermage contract with the municipality for a period of 12 years. At the end of this, a new call for competition led to the renewal of the SCIC until 2022. The cooperative has set itself the objective of “contributing to the preservation and promotion of knowledge and skills. -to be linked to the production of ocher and the use of coloring materials in various fields: building, painting, paper, art and crafts.
Birth of the cooperative
The SCIC cooperative was born from the association created in 1994 in partnership between the Municipality of Roussillon in the Vaucluse and the founders of the project led by Mathieu Barrois. The SCIC ôkhra is responsible for the enhancement of the Mathieu Factory and the development of the Conservatory of Ocher and Color.
Its main objective is to contribute to the preservation and promotion of knowledge and know-how related to the production of ocher and the use of coloring materials in various fields: building, painting, paper, art and trades. of art.
The Camille Mathieu factory
The Mathieu factory is a former ocher production plant which produced around 1000 tonnes of ocher per year between 1921 and 1963. Abandoned for several years in the state of industrial wasteland, it can be visited since 1994. Washing systems , the kiln and mills have been restored to understand the different stages of ore processing, from extraction to shipping. This technical history of ocher is placed in its local and international economic and cultural context so that everyone can grasp the past, current and future challenges of this material which remains an unalterable natural pigment and has been used for centuries.
To learn more about the history of the place, okhra, ocher and the region, do not hesitate to visit us or to book online here