Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Villar-Loubière water mill, located in the Hautes-Alpes, is a second quarter of the 19th century building, originally dedicated to the production of flour and oil (probably olive). The building, covered in stubble, belonged to the Bellon family before being transferred in 1978 to Écrins National Park. The original equipment consisted of three horizontal wheels powered by wooden channels, each dedicated to a specific function: oil mill, animal feed, and flour production. A fourth vertical wheel, now reduced to its axis, operated a sieving wheel.

The mill preserves remarkable elements such as a vertical oil wheel swivelling on a granite cuvier dated 1838, a heater, screw presses (including one in cabestan), and two pairs of flour wheels with their lifting gallows. These interior fittings, protected by a decree of 21 March 1983, bear witness to the craft techniques of the time. The site, owned by the municipality, illustrates the central role of the mills in the Alpine rural economy in the 19th century, combining agricultural activities and crop processing.

Ranked as a Historic Monument for its architecture and preserved mechanisms, this mill offers a rare example of early industrial heritage in Provence-Alpes-Côte d的Azur. Its registration in 1983 highlights its technical and historical value, while its location in Écrins National Park makes it a witness to traditional mountain practices. However, the accuracy of its location remains poor (level 5/10), limiting detailed geographical studies.

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