Path: Introduction - Visit the mills; catalogue

Mills in Alto Aragón

by Bernardo Molinero

Introduction

Ask most people I know to describe you a mill and they will come up with one of those enormous machines making the Netherlands a tourist trap. Others will remember the slender enemies of Don Quijote. Mention water-mill and Mississippi steamers emerge on the horizon.

Mills must dominate the landscape, most people seem to think.

Mills in Altoaragón are different.

Although some mills are big and house several production units (e.g. Caldearenas, Sarvisé), most are humble constructions, with sometimes only one multi-purpose room (e.g. Ainielle, Lacabezonada).

There are no sails showing you the way: none is driven by the wind (†). The first water-mill I visited in 1989 (the fulling mill of Lacort) was the only one with the familiar external vertical wheel.

Alquezar (1994)

All other water-mills in our region have the wheel mounted on a vertical axle, hidden in a cavity under the mill. Most olive crunching mills were powered by muscle power: they lack the wheel.

Modern time came and was strongly against the mills. The construction of better roads made it possible to bring bread from the city up to the mountains. This, together with the industrial production of flour and olive oil made life for the small village mills impossible.

The job starts at home. Preparation is paramount. Read Pallaruelo. Study recent and old maps. Old maps from the 1930s and 1950s are readily available on the web. Search for abandoned villages. Most likely there is a mill in a valley nearby. Learn about old customs and old tools: visit the Sabiñánigo and Ainsa museum.

Practice in gardening: the vegetation can be very dense and thorny. Should you prefer to stay free of scratches, then explore this testimonial of Aragón's recent past.

Some tried to survive with better mill-stones, or the production of fodder, or even the production of electricity. They did not succeed.

Today the mills are forgotten, many lie in ruins, but they have not lost their charm.

Obviously you need some sort of explorer's mind to detect and find the constructions in the landscape. Contrary to the trends in the tourist industry, there are no carefully planned adventurous trips to the mills. You are on your own.

Mills in Alto Aragón

Introduction

Contents:

Mills in Altoaragón are different.