Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The mill of Saint-Angel, located in Salvagnac in Occitanie, is a windmill of truncated tower type, built of brick with a few stone seats (molasse). A typical example of this is the 18th-century windmills, with its partially coated and conical three-tiered wooden roof. A missing inscription, "purchased in 1759", engraved on a brick above the door, attests to its acquisition on that date, today recalled by an inner sign. The mill initially housed a pair of grinding wheels upstairs, as evidenced by the traces of a suspended staircase and openings in the masonry. A second pair of wheels was located on the raised ground floor.

Mentioned from the beginning of the eighteenth century and present on the map of Cassini as well as on the cadastre of 1836, this mill has undergone several changes over the centuries, visible through the mixed use of brick and molasses. Its activity evolved with technical advances: in 1940, a petrol engine replaced wind energy, before its definitive cessation in 1951. The roof and wings were restored in 1979, and an iron ring consolidated its base after the 1999 storm. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1975, it retains most of its wind power, with the exception of the wings.

The mill in Saint-Angel reflects the technological and economic adaptations of rural mills. Its architecture, combining local materials and traditional techniques, illustrates the skills of millers and the agricultural needs of the region. The transition from wind energy to a thermal engine in the 20th century marks a key step in local industrial history, before its definitive abandonment in the middle of the century. Today, it bears witness to the vernacular heritage and changes in rural landscapes in Occitanie.

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