Figueira Watermill

Category: Civil Architecture > Mill

District: Évora > Mora > Pavia > Quinta do Gião

Location

The Figueira Watermill is located in the Quinta do Gião urbanization, in the locality of Pavia, belonging to the municipality of Mora. It is situated on the south bank of the Ribeira de Tera, in a rural and isolated area characterized by rugged terrain where granite formations and singular geological phenomena, such as giant's kettles and "chaos of blocks," stand out, shaping the surrounding landscape.

Its position in the riverside landscape offers a tranquil and natural setting, where the predominant vegetation is the montado, with holm oaks, rockroses, and cork oaks, revealing the typical Mediterranean flora of the Alentejo region. It is a place that invites nature observation, with a rich fauna that includes wild boars, foxes, otters, and various species of birds of prey and passerines that inhabit the vicinity of the watercourse.

A Testimony to Traditional Milling

Conjecturally dated between the 18th and 19th centuries, the Figueira Mill represents an important legacy of water-powered milling activity. This tub mill, with a horizontal wheel and three pairs of millstones, was essential for the local community, used for grinding various cereals, such as oats, barley, and broad beans, particularly for the production of flour for fattening pigs.

Its structure and functionality tell the story of a time when rural life depended directly on natural resources, such as the force of water, for subsistence. Visiting the Figueira Mill allows for a connection with the past and with the ancestral practices that shaped the economy and daily life of the region.

Architecture and Adaptation to the Ribeira

The mill features a simple rectangular floor plan, with a vertically constructed mass and a distinctive curved two-sloped roof, made with artisanal terracotta tiles. Its robust facades, in rustic stone masonry with reinforcements of larger blocks at the corners, reflect the solidity necessary to withstand the elements and the flow of the river.

An architectural peculiarity are its three narrow and elevated archways, with perfect round arches, through which water was directed to activate the milling mechanism. Although it was not designed for total submersion, like many other mills in the area, the presence of strong plasterwork and vents suggests an adaptation to withstand partial submersion during periods of river flooding. The access door, off-center and flanked by brick frames, was traditionally reached by stone steps, and the interior exhibits walls and ceilings in irregular stone corbel vaulting, where the millstones and grinding systems once operated.

Components of the Milling Station

In addition to the main structure of the mill, the site included a set of support buildings essential for its operation. Approximately fifty meters from the riverbank, with their fronts facing the watercourse, are the independent volumes of the Miller's House and the Stables.

These complementary constructions, with rectangular floor plans and single-sloped roofs, were an integral part of the milling station. The Miller's House served as housing, while the Stables were used for livestock, demonstrating the autonomy and functional complexity of these rural production units in the past.

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