Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (14)Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (14)
The Saint-Roch Windmill
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (14)The mill of Saint-Roch
A windmill
This windmill dates back to the 16th century. First called the La Gardiole windmill, it became the Saint Roch windmill in the 17th century when the chapel named after the saint was built several hundred metres away.
It is one of the town’s 4 windmills. But there were many other mills which also produced flour – watermills. There were 9 in the area.
Gallery
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (13)
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (7)
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (15)
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (5)Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (13)Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (7)Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (15)Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (5)Flour production
The miller is sleeping ?
In front of the edifice there is a threshing area. In this area horses tread on sheaf of wheat.
Sometimes, for increased efficiency, they dragged a stone roller. Once the dust and straw had been cleared away, the grains were taken to the mill to be crushed by two millstones.
The miller put sails on the blades of the mill. He would carefully observe several conditions, like the strength and direction of the wind, while the wheat was being ground. When the millstones ground fast enough it was possible to produce good flour. These mills stopped operating at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the 1990s, the roof, the blades and the mechanics were restored.
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (11)
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (6)
Moulin Saint Roch Grimaud Var (2)RDV in June for
La Fête du Moulin in Grimaud
Every year the Fête du Moulin et du Petit Patrimoine (windmill and small heritage festival) takes place in June.
The festival provides an opportunity to see the windmill operating and the wheat being threshed. But also to taste the hot bread and enjoy the traditional Provençal dances performed by the local JFA :folklore group, Escandihado.
