From 1840 to 1887, the economy of the village of Rustrel in the Vaucluse department was widely linked to the iron industry. The presence of iron ore and the significant production of charcoal allowed the establishment of two iron factories on the municipal territory. A first deposit was discovered at Notre-Dame-des-Anges in 1832, giving rise to the establishment in 1846 of a factory known as du haut equipped with two charcoal blast furnaces. It operated until 1887 and employed up to 160 people. The factory du bas, located in the Saint-Pierre district, was built in 1840 and was active until 1865.