Loscertales

Loscertales is a village near the city of Huesca — find it in north-eastern direction. From Huesca take the road towards Barbastro and Siétamo. You'll pass Quicena. Turn left to Loporzano and Bandalies. Keep following Bandalies, then Sipán and you'll reach Loscertales eventually. The mill is hidden between the trees and very near the road at km 9 in the penultimate curve before the village. You can also walk down from the village square.

Pictures: 24.V.2011

(1) Top of the mill with Loscertales in the background

(2) Entrance of the molino de Loscertales

(3) Bird's eye view from the corner in (1)

(4) Storage left; crushing stone right

The mill is an empty carcass. But even so the site has some interest not least because the shape of the terrain was used to the maximum (1, 4, 7).

Also interesting is the place where the olives were broken into a paste for the press. The central part where the stone ran is hardened with cement (6). Then comes the peripheral zone where the paste was collected and finally a rim made of bricks.

(5) Doorhead says Año D.? 1872

A conical milling stone was used instead of the more commonly applied round stone. They usually came in pairs (e.g. Torres del Obispo) or trios (e.g. El Grado), but as I found no trace of more, there was probably only this one. The advantage of conical stones is that they reduce slippage. Though they are more efficient, they never reached any considerable presence in the region.

(6) Embalse with conical stone

(7) Former fixing points of machinery

(8, 9) Two types of containers

Path: Home / Alto Aragón: old mills / Loscertales