Museum and location search

Salardú Flour Mill

Producing energy

The miller could see everything that was happening in the carcabà through a trap in the ground.

The miller could see everything that was happening in the carcabà through a trap in the ground.

One of Aran’s great natural assets is water, which since ancient times has been used by the Aran people as a source of energy.

The water came through a channel from the river to a small reservoir located across from the mill. The same water was also harnessed on its course by the public laundries and the saw mill, which were located near the mill.

Inside the mill, three handles allowed the gates to be lifted and the water to be channelled to the carcabà. This was the space under the mill, where there were three devices that drove the grinding stones. These devices were the bench, the cartridge, the shaft and the grinding stone. The cartridge was placed on the bench on the ground. With the shaft it was connected to the grinding stone. The water running through the channel pushed and turned the cartridge, along with the shaft and the grinding stone. This is what we know as the direct drive system.

OBJECTS

<p>A small wooden structure kept the bench in its place. Salard&uacute; Flour Mill. Mus&egrave;u dera Val d&#39;Aran.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
Bench
Bench
<p>The blades were the most important part of the cartridge. Their operation depended on how they were placed and inclined. Salard&uacute; Flour Mill. Mus&egrave;u dera Val d&#39;Aran.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
Roller
Roller
<p>The shaft was attached firmly to the cartridge by several wedges. Salard&uacute; Flour Mill. Mus&egrave;u dera Val d&#39;Aran.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
Shaft
Shaft
scroll to top icon