Rotating wooden mill in Urzelina, Urzelina Wharf

Category: Civil Architecture > Windmill

District: Açores > Velas > Urzelina > Terreiros

Location

The wooden rotating windmill is located in the village of Urzelina, municipality of Velas, on the island of São Jorge, Azores. Its position is strategic and of great beauty, situated in the immediate vicinity of the Cais da Urzelina. From this point, it is possible to appreciate the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and the island's coastline, in a setting that combines the tranquility of the maritime environment with the natural Azorean landscape.

This windmill is a distinctive element in the Terreiros landscape, lending a particular charm to this coastal area of Urzelina, where nature and human intervention meet harmoniously.

Architectural Features

This example of a windmill stands out for its predominantly wooden construction, a characteristic that gives it a genuine and integrated appearance within the island landscape. Its "rotating" designation refers to the mechanism that allows the upper structure, known as the cap, to rotate on its base. This engineering allowed the mill's sails to be oriented to capture wind power more efficiently, regardless of its direction.

Such adaptability was fundamental for its operation. Windmills of this type were essential for grinding cereals, a vital process for the subsistence and self-sufficiency of local communities throughout centuries, before the modernization of agricultural and food processes.

Legacy and Landscape

The wooden rotating windmill in Urzelina is more than a functional structure; it is a testament to the history and rural life of the island of São Jorge. It represents traditional engineering and human ingenuity in harmony with natural resources, evidencing the dependence on wind for the transformation of earth's products.

Its presence at Cais da Urzelina, with the sea as a backdrop, evokes a past where milling was a vital activity and where the connection to land and sea was intrinsic to Azorean daily life. It thus constitutes a symbolic element in the coastal landscape, inviting contemplation and reflection on the traditions and way of life that shaped the island's identity.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt