Windmill - Les Baux-de-Provence, France
Posted by: denben
N 43° 44.500 E 004° 47.589
31T E 644387 N 4844743
The remnant of this windmill dating from 1632 is located on the site of the Castle of Baux in Les Baux-de-Provence a commune in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhone and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France.
Waymark Code: WMTTXY
Location: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Date Posted: 01/07/2017
Views: 9
The windmills of the castle and the village community were raised in the southern part ending in a point, the place being particularly well exposed to the wind. The windmill that survives bears the date of 1652. It was built by the Marshal of Vitry, after the destruction of all the other mills of the village and the castle. It naturally evokes the Fontvieille mill on the road to Arles, which inspired Alphonse Daudet with his "Lettres de mon moulin" while he was staying at the Château de Montauban in Fontvieille.
The sign reads:
"A feudal privilege, the windmill was built and maintained by the lords of Les Baux, although it was accessible to all. In return for a small payment for use of the mill, farmers would come with their donkeys loaded with wheat, enjoy the opportunuty to meet other people and chat, then leave with their fresly ground flour. The present windmill was built on a windy hillside after Maréchal de Vitry pulled down every windmill in the castle and village in 1632, and faithfully mirrors the traditional image of Provence found in the writings of Frédéric Mistral and Alphonse Daudet."
Source: (
visit link)