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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Crève-Cœur mill is a water mill located on the Reyssouze in the town of Bourg-en-Bresse (département de l'Ain). Dating from the 19th century, it illustrates the transition between traditional techniques and emerging industrialization. Its architecture and equipment, including a turbine replacing the old wheels, make it an exceptional witness to the evolution of pre-industrial mills in France. The site includes several buildings: a storage space to the north, the mechanical heart of the mill in the centre, and a living part to the south, supplemented by a forge to the west.

Ranked a historic monument since May 30, 2005, the Crève-Cœur mill is distinguished by the integral preservation of its functional elements: 19th-century bluuses, cylindrical grinding machines among the first acquired by French millers, as well as its discharge canal and its watercourse. These characteristics make it one of the last mills of this type still preserved in its original environment, offering a concrete overview of cereal production methods before the industrial revolution. Its location in an ancient medieval heart of Bourg-en-Bresse adds an additional historical dimension to the site.

The buildings and surrounding land are fully protected, including the operating equipment still in place. This preservation allows us to study 19th century milling techniques, such as the use of fabrics for blasters or the early integration of turbines. The mill also symbolizes the central role of these infrastructures in the local economy, linking agricultural production, crafts and the beginning of mechanization. Its official address, 13 rue Crève-Coeur, and its Insee code (01053) clearly anchor it in the heritage of the department of Ain and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

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