Acquisition of the map seigneury 1497 (≈ 1497)
Jacques de Beaune bought the seigneury.
1515-1520
Construction of mill
Construction of mill 1515-1520 (≈ 1518)
Built on the Cher for Jacques de Beaune.
27 avril 1520
Completion of work
Completion of work 27 avril 1520 (≈ 1520)
Mill operating this date.
1680-1718
Conflict with the Abbey of Saint-Julien
Conflict with the Abbey of Saint-Julien 1680-1718 (≈ 1699)
Temporaryly challenged mill rights.
1974
Cessation of activity
Cessation of activity 1974 (≈ 1974)
Final closure of the mill.
fin XIXe siècle
Wheel replacement
Wheel replacement fin XIXe siècle (≈ 1995)
New blade wheel installed.
7 avril 2005
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 7 avril 2005 (≈ 2005)
Partial protection of hydraulic components.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The mill hanging on the Cher ; the access bridge from the flour mill on the bank; the bief and its hydraulic structures on the Cher: the dam, the valve and the weir (Box ZE 25): inscription by order of 7 April 2005
Key figures
Jacques de Beaune - Superintendent of Finance of Louis XII
Sponsor and original owner of the mill.
Louis XII - King of France (1498-1515)
Granted Beaune the right to build.
Origin and history
The Grand mill of Ballan is a former flour mill built between 1515 and 1520 on the Cher, in the commune of Ballan-Miré (Indre-et-Loire). It was built at the initiative of Jacques de Beaune, the Superintendent of Finance of Louis XII, on a loop of the river, as part of his seigneurial rights over the chestnutny of the Map. The work, completed in 1520, combines a tufted architecture and an innovative hydraulic system for the time, with a 6.30 m diameter blade wheel.
Over the centuries, the mill underwent several architectural changes, such as the addition of a covered gallery to the north or an eastward expansion, while maintaining its original structure. Its operation was temporarily contested between 1680 and 1718 by the monks of the abbey of Saint-Julien, without any major interruption of its activity. It remained in service until 1974, when a modern mill made it obsolete.
The Grand mill has been partially listed as a historic monument since 2005, for its hydraulic elements (waterfowl, dam, valve) and its metal bridge. Private property, it bears witness to five centuries of industrial and seigneurial history in Touraine. Its mobile wheel system, adapted to the variations of the Cher, and its two dikes make it a remarkable example of pre-industrial engineering.
The site is also distinguished by its strategic location: anchored in a curve of the Cher, it was connected to the left bank by a bridge, while navigation channels initially surrounded the building. These developments reflect its central role in the local economy, between flour production and river traffic control.
Today, the Grand Moulin de Ballan illustrates both the hydraulic heritage of the Centre-Val de Loire region and the legacy of Jacques de Beaune, a major figure in the financial administration under Louis XII. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its architectural and technical value, as well as its anchoring in the social history of the Touraine.
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