Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Windmill of La Garde is a windmill in the department of Maine-et-Loire. His masonries, made of shale stones, probably date from the seventeenth century, although this attribution remains uncertain. The current mill rests on a 4-metre-high cylindrical base, housing a cellar where the wheels are located. Unlike other crows, its upper part, bearing the foot of the mill, is made of slate-covered frames rather than masonry.

The mill is mentioned as a successor to an earlier mill, in 1584 under the seigneury of Perrière. At that time, his miller owed an annuity of 30 books tournaments to the Augustinian religious of Angers. The current structure, including the masseau and the hicherolle (wood cage housing the mechanism), was partially restored in 1981, including its wings and engine shaft. Inscribed to historical monuments by decree of 5 November 1982, it bears witness to the architecture and traditional milling techniques of Anjou.

The location of the mill, at 9005 Chemin des Vignes in Avrillé, is documented in the Mérimée base. Its state of conservation and its openness to the public are not specified in the available sources, but its heritage inscription underlines its historical and architectural importance for the region of Pays de la Loire.

External links