Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Dautin windmill, located in Migé in the department of Yonne, is a windmill built in 1794 for the Sieur Dautin. Traditional type with a tower of 8,50 meters high and walls of 96 cm thick, it was initially equipped with star wings. Its mechanism was modernized in 1853 with the installation of wooden wings with variable geometry, known as the Berton system, and then completed in 1874 by a steam machine. The mill ceased its activity before 1890, becoming an emblematic ruin of the local heritage.

Abandoned for almost a century, the mill was saved in 1988 by the creation of the association "A d'aile d'aile", which undertook its integral restoration. In 1994, it returned to its original functioning, as it was in the mid-19th century, and was listed as a historical monument in 1997. Renamed "Migé Mill" in 2012 to reflect its territorial anchor, it is now open to the public and offers visits, exhibitions and educational workshops. The farm, which is being rehabilitated, aims to become a "Centre of Wind and Renewable Energy".

The mill symbolizes both the technical ingenuity of 19th century millers and the contemporary commitment to the preservation of industrial heritage. Its Berton system, a rare example of conservation, is evidence of the innovations in the exploitation of wind energy before the industrial era. The managing association perpetuates this memory by linking local history and current energy issues, making this site a place of transmission between past and future.

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