Construction of press Avant 1830 (≈ 1830)
Date on a beam.
1919
End of use
End of use 1919 (≈ 1919)
Replaced by walking presses.
3 novembre 2020
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 3 novembre 2020 (≈ 2020)
Protection of the pan and press.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following parts of the house located 12 rue du pressoir, on parcel 17, shown in the cadastre section AH, as delimited by a red border on the plan annexed to the order: the whole vault, i.e. the building and the facilities that it houses (crushing age, press, water pump, storage space of barrels): inscription by order of 3 November 2020
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The apple press of Villeneuve-sur-Bellot is a historic monument of the 1st quarter of the 19th century, located in a house dedicated to the production of cider. This wooden press, 6 meters high, is considered a building because it forms an indissociable whole with the basin that is housed. Its originality lies in its squirrel cage system, typical of wine regions such as Burgundy or Champagne, but rare in the cidric region. The wheel, with a diameter of 4.8 metres, allowed two men to operate the mechanism, while sandstone foundations, buried at 4 metres, ensured its stability.
The bowl also houses a 5.12-metre-diameter grinding trough, still equipped with its millstone drawn in the past by a horse, as well as a scraper called "foal". A water pump completes this set, testifying to the artisanal production of cider. The press, built before 1830 according to an inscription on a beam, ceased its activity in 1919 with the arrival of the travelling presses. Its use for grapes, although plausible, is not attested, since the wine crop disappeared locally after the phylloxera epidemic in the late nineteenth century.
The materials used reflect artisanal know-how: the master beam is made of oak, the tightening screw in elm, and the maple gears, while the frame mixes oak and walnut. This press, registered with the Historical Monuments in 2020, illustrates a transition between wine and winemaking techniques, marked by regional influences. Its exceptional state of conservation makes it a unique testimony to the agri-food history of Ile-de-France.
