Duke's Water Mill / Order's Water Mill

Category: Civil Architecture > Water Mill

District: Portalegre > Avis > Monte da Ordem

Location

The Duke's Water Mill, also known as the Order's Water Mill, is located in a serene landscape in the locality of Monte da Ordem, part of the municipality of Avis. It is isolated, nestled on the south bank of the Seda Stream, a short distance from where it joins the Almada Stream. The surroundings are typically Alentejo, marked by the presence of olive trees, cork oaks, and strawberry trees, harmonizing perfectly with the surrounding nature. The mill and its associated structures are integrated into this riverside landscape, with the main building itself partially founded on the stones of the stream bed.

Vestiges of a Hydraulic Past

This architectural complex is a testament to the ancient milling activity that utilized the force of water. The milling station comprises the mill building, a weir to the west to retain and direct water, and to the east, the miller's house and an isolated oven. The main structure, the mill, was designed to work with a horizontal wheel, a common system in the region, and possesses characteristics that indicate its adaptation to periods of higher river flow, suggesting its ability to mill even when partially submerged.

Architecture and Adaptation to the Environment

The mill's construction reveals robust architecture, designed to withstand the force of water. The walls are made of stone, with a stone vaulted roof, reinforced by strong plastering that gives it a solid appearance, almost like a small fortification. Buttresses are visible on the facade facing the water, where the 'caboucos' are located, the openings through which water entered to power the mechanism. Access to the mill is notable for a small, serpentine stone bridge that crosses the 'enxugadouro', a side channel used to control the water level.

Supporting Structures

Complementing the mill are the ruins of the house where the miller and his family lived, and an oven. The miller's house, with a simple layout, had essential rooms for daily life, such as the living room with a fireplace, a bedroom, and even a space for livestock (stable). The oven, a crucial element for the rural community that used the mill, has a rectangular shape with a rounded rear part, and its main opening was protected by a porch. These additional constructions provide insight into the life and organization surrounding this traditional milling unit.

Milling Details

Inside the mill, despite its current state, traces of the equipment that allowed the transformation of cereal into flour can still be observed. Elements such as the bases of the millstones (grinding stones), known as 'pousos', and parts of the hoppers ('tremonhados') and flour guards ('guarda-farinha'), made of stone and brick masonry, reusing fragments of the millstones themselves, remain as marks of past activity. These details illustrate the traditional technology used for the cereal milling process in the region, driven solely by the energy of the stream's water.

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