A symphony of earth tones, the old ocher quarry at Roussillon was once mined for 17 different tints of the mineral, which artists worldwide used to color paints and pottery. When ocher was made obsolete by cheaper, synthetic pigments, the quarry suffered losses and finally closed in 1958. Eroded and fragile, it has been declared a historical preserve; today tourist trails wind past walls of the chalk-soft rock.
—From "Essence of Provence," September 1995, National Geographic magazine
Journey back to the 1100s when France first dared to fashion heaven's image in soaring cathedrals of stone with this gallery of images from photographer James L. Stanfield.
Markets and antique shops populate the quintessentially French town of Provence. Immerse yourself in the culture that inspired the likes of Van Gogh, Matisse and Cezanne.
