Aineto

Aineto is situated south from Sabiñanigo in the valley of the Río Guarga.
From Sabiñanigo drive southwards toward Huesca. Past Lanave turn left for Boltaña. After a while you'll find the turn to Aineto just before the molino de Escartín at the right side. You'll find the mill of Aineto a bit earlier at the other side of the river.
From Boltaña cross the Río Ara and take the road towards Lanave. It is a long and winding road through a beautiful and wild landscape. After about 20 km you'll pass the road for Matidero. After again about as many kms you'll find the mill of Escartín. You'll spot the molino de Aineto about one km further on.

Pictures: 10.iv.2007, 27.vi.2007

(1) Molino de Aineto (white arrow).

The road is narrow but there is a suitable spot not too far away where you can park the car. If you choose the same spot like I did You'll notice the watersupply channel crossing the Barranco de Fuenmayor at the other side of the river Guarga (11).

Opposite the mill some stairs will bring you from the road down to the river which you'll have to cross to reach the mill (1).

The molino is a rather small construction dominated by a pond with sturdy walls (1, blue arrow). The roof collapsing under the weight of the years has leveled all the inner walls (3-5).

The entrance door is blocked by the debris but I managed to enter via one of the windows. The interior was divided in three, perhaps four, separate rooms. One of the rooms probably housed the power generator (6). A circuit panel with regulators and dials is attached to the wall (7, 9). The wall visible left in (6) is the same which can be seen at the right in (8).

Lines emerge from behind this panel (6) and run to the next room where a large switchboard is located (8, 10). From there the power lines were guided over several banks of insulators (3) up the inner wall and leaving the building at the wall facing south (and the embalse). A huge tube, fitted in the outlet of the reservoir (12), indicates that a turbine was used to drive the generator.

(9) dials in the generator room

Old maps show a wide network of powerlines with a total length of about 26 km (13). From the mill lines ran to Aineto, Solanilla (see the mill of Solanilla), Abellada and Azpe to the South. To the North the lines serviced Villacampa and Gillué via Escartín. To the East the lines ran via Aineto and reached Secorún, Cañardo, and Matidero (see the mill of Matidero). Laguarta had its own humble mill producing electricity until 2006 when the village finally was connected to the modern grid.