Regatinho Mill

Category: Civil Architecture > Moinho de água

District: Aveiro > Albergaria-a-Velha > Vilarinho de São Roque > Lugar de Baixo

Location:

The Regatinho Mill is located in Vilarinho de São Roque, in the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha, in an area known as Lugar de Baixo. This location is in the oldest core of the village, where the Fílveda River plays a central role in the landscape. Its proximity to the riverbank offers a natural and serene environment, typical of the old mills that dot the region.

A Legacy of Traditional Milling:

Known in its entirety as Moinhos do Regatinho (Regatinho Mills), this complex comprises two undershot mill structures, historically designated as Quingosta Mill and Silva Mill. Each of these units has a pair of millstones, the essential stones that transform cereals into flour. The operation of this engineering is directly driven by the force of the Fílveda River's waters, an ancestral method that has endured through the centuries.

These mills were, and to some extent still are, owned by several farming families from the village. Their use was organized through a system of turns, reflecting the vital importance of these infrastructures for local subsistence and the community spirit that characterized rural life.

The Continued Tradition and Local Flavor:

Despite the passage of time, the Regatinho Mill remains active, a testament to a resilient tradition. Some of the inhabitants of Vilarinho de São Roque still use these mills today to obtain their flour, which serves both for animal feed and for the preparation of traditional products that are a pillar of local gastronomy. It is with the flour milled artisanally in these mills that delicacies such as broa (corn bread) and, in particular, the flavorful papas de carolo (cornmeal porridge) are prepared, dishes that reflect the rich culinary heritage of the region and the direct link to cereal production.

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