Construction of mill vers 1580 (≈ 1580)
Building of the typical cavier mill of Anjou.
1949
End of milling activity
End of milling activity 1949 (≈ 1949)
Definitive cessation of use.
1978
Last partial restoration
Last partial restoration 1978 (≈ 1978)
Intervention before accelerated degradation.
1996
Wing removal
Wing removal 1996 (≈ 1996)
Dismantling to avoid falling.
2021
Emergency relief
Emergency relief 2021 (≈ 2021)
Action against imminent collapse.
21 octobre 2022
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 21 octobre 2022 (≈ 2022)
Official protection of the mill and mechanism.
2023
Heritage Lotto Selection
Heritage Lotto Selection 2023 (≈ 2023)
Iconic site for restoration.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Pavé mill, in whole, with the elements that make up it (mass, massereau, hucherolle) and all its mechanism, with the exception of the outbuildings and the house of dwelling, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree and shown in the cadastre of the commune section 290 ZH parcel No 107: inscription by decree of 21 October 2022
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any named historical actor.
Origin and history
The Pavé mill, also called the Brissac mill, is a cattle mill dedicated to milling, built around 1580 on the former town of Saint-Jean-des-Mauvrets (now Les Garennes-sur-Loire). It is the last visible witness of a set of twelve mills built between the 17th and 18th centuries within a radius of 500 meters, illustrating the historical importance of milling in this area of the hillside of Aubance, near Brissac-Quincé. Its architecture, including a mass, a masserel and a hicherolle, makes it a characteristic example of the Angelian mills.
After having ceased operations in 1949, the mill gradually deteriorated, despite partial restoration in 1978. Its wings, removed in 1996 to avoid collapse, were not replaced. Two major landslides on its north and south slopes worsened its condition, requiring an emergency stifling in 2021 at the request of the architect of the Bâtiments de France. In 2022, it was included in the inventory of Historic Monuments for its entire mechanical, with the exception of dependencies. In 2023, it was selected from the emblematic sites of the Lotto du Patrimoine, highlighting its heritage interest.
Located on the edge of the municipalities of Brissac-Quincé and the Garennes-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire), the mill is located on the ridge of the hillside of Aubance, near the departmental road D748. Its official address, according to the Mérimée base, is the 5 Rue des Moulins in Brissac Loire Aubance, although its administrative inscription links it to the Garennes-sur-Loire (code Insee 49167). This geographic gap reflects its history of both territories.
