Category: Civil Architecture > Mill
District: Faro > Alcoutim > Giões
The Moinho de Alferes, a set of ruins with profound historical and cultural value, is serenely situated in the municipality of Alcoutim, in the district of Faro. More specifically, these ruins are integrated into the peaceful locality of Giões, an area that reflects the genuine mountain landscape of the Algarve hinterland.
Its location, characteristic of bygone days, evokes a rural environment where human presence harmonized with nature. From this point, visitors can observe an environment marked by undulating terrain and Mediterranean vegetation, offering a perspective on traditional life and the timeless beauty of the Barrocal and the Algarve mountains.
Although it stands today as ruins, the Moinho de Alferes represents a silent testimony to an era when mills were essential pillars of the economy and community life in rural areas. Its existence attests to the importance of cereal milling, a vital process for the sustenance of local populations who depended on agricultural production.
The ruins, though incomplete, tell the story of a facility that, for decades, or perhaps centuries, served the surrounding community, transforming harvests into flour. Its current condition reflects the decline of traditional agricultural activities and changing lifestyles, but it does not diminish the relevance of its past role in this corner of the Algarve.
On site, the vestiges of the mill's original structure are visible, allowing one to imagine its shape and functionality. The remaining walls, built with stones characteristic of the region, delineate the space where grains were once processed. Observing these foundations and walls is a way to understand the rudimentary but effective engineering that allowed it to operate, whether by the force of the wind or by water power.
The natural surroundings of the ruins contribute to its particular atmosphere, inviting a moment of contemplation. The environment, marked by the silence of the mountains and the sounds of nature, offers an opportunity to reflect on the resilience of heritage and the evolution of the human landscape in the Algarve hinterland.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 37.50188016750163, -7.689827233800377
Coordinates DMS: 37°30'6.8"N 07°41'23.4"W