Roussillon is considered one of the most beautiful villages of France. Thanks to the nearby ocher mines, which are a major tourist attraction, has the whole village a reddish colour. Also, the local soil has all the shades of red, ranging from beige to dark red. It used to be mined 17 different colors of ocher – purple, red, orange, yellow, and many others. The history of this site dates back to 230 million years ago, when all the area of Provence was under the sea. The sand at the bottom contained iron, which later oxidized, and such created the ocher.

Already the ancient Romans used it to produce glazes on pottery. In 18th century the local residents found out how to adjust the pigment to be resistant to water. With this discovery, a new industry of colors began. Such colors could be used not only for surface treatment of ceramic products, but also in painting houses. The production of colours decreased in 50′s of 20th century. Nowadays, the ocher is not mining any more and this pigment is produced artificially. The village, however, maintain the original color, and together with its surrounding it is a protected area.

In the village you can walk through the narrow and steep streets that are lined with houses with beautiful red-colored facades, houses the souvenir shops. The beautiful village of Roussillon is unfortunately flooded with crowds in the summer, so if you want to enjoy its unique atmosphere, it is good to visit in a spring or autumn.

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When you see on a bottle of wine, a reference to Sienese Chianti then you know that the wine comes from province of Siena. At the same time Florentine Chianti comes from the province of Florence. However, all of them belong to the Chianti wine region.

Chianti, Italy by H. Hoffmeister

The entire region features gently rolling hills that are covered in large vineyards, small olive groves and many countryside villages. The homes and villages throughout the countryside are all made of stone and bring to mind the many pictures that one sees of the wine regions of Italy. The region is so beautiful, that they have inspired postcards, photographs and calendars which are distributed throughout the world today.

Every year, the many vineyards throughout the Chianti region annual produce more than eight million cases of some of the finest wines in Italy. The region is known to produce the largest volume of wines that are available throughout Italy.

There are several popular destinations throughout the Chianti region to stay. From these you can join any number of guided tours throughout the countryside. You will be able to stop and visit some of the finest wineries in Italy and even be able to taste a glass or too as you go. While it is great to visit Rome, the crowds can just be too much. For a more restful Italian get-away, millions of people over the years have opted to visit the Chianti region instead.

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