The windmills of Mallorca historical-cultural heritage
The windmills of Mallorca historical-cultural heritage – the Consell de Mallorca and the Association for the Conservation of Mills (ACEM) have as their purpose a project of cultural cooperation to treat the mills in Mallorca as historical and cultural heritage. They have the mission of invigorating the molinological heritage of the Euro-Mediterranean Pyrenees region and avoiding its loss by creating a tourist and cultural product, the Route of the Mills of the Euro-region. The intention is to make known the molinological heritage of the Euro-region, promote sustainable cultural tourism, that citizens value mills as part of Mallorcan history and create a network of cooperation to preserve this heritage.
The “Consell de Mallorca” and the Association for the Conservation of Mills (ACEM) have gathered between 18 and 20 October more than a hundred experts on the occasion of the XI International Congress of Molinology.
As reported by the insular institution in a statement, it is a meeting that, under the theme ‘Memory, architecture, engineering and future’, aims to “promote the study, conservation, restoration and enhancement of the mills and the traditional engineering in the international field “.
From the Consell will also be awarded a grant of one million euros, direct from the insular institution, plus another 250,000 euros of sustainable tourism tax, for the rehabilitation of the mills of the Sant Jordi plan.
The windmills of mallorca historical-cultural heritage are part of the island and its past, serving as a precedent for future generations.
Since the 1990s, the Council of Mallorca, through the Unit of Historical Industrial Heritage, is a leader in the study, protection, conservation, restoration and valuation of the molinological heritage and traditional engineering of our island.
This meeting brought together specialists from more than eight different countries to have the opportunity to “share experiences” on the world of architecture, engineering, history and art history, archeology, restoration, ethnography, anthropology , geography and tourism; but also to people interested in this subject and to entities linked to the molinological heritage and traditional engineering.
It is the second time that Mallorca hosts this meeting, which is held every two years making reference to the windmills of Mallorca historical-cultural heritage.
Different types of indigenous mills of Mallorca historical-cultural heritage
– Blood mills:
These mills have been used in Mallorca basically to grind bread and make flour. They are spread throughout the island, from the Serra de Tramuntana to the insular east. Those that are located in possessions or fields usually served for family self-consumption and produced the energy being dragged by an animal.
– Water extraction windmills
They had a circular tower and practically the difference with flour was the extraction apparatus.
From 1930, iron or blade mills were introduced. This mill is metallic, with few parts that continue to be made of wood.
– Hydraulic mills
For the use of the natural motive power of the water of rivers, tides, etc.
In addition, we can visit the “Molinos Museum” in Palma located in “El Molí Garleta (Es Jonquet)”, which offers a whole series of graphics, models and pieces that teach us the world of mills and how fantastic it is to keep them today.
