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Origin and history

The Ardenay windmills, located at Chaudefonds-sur-Layon in Maine-et-Loire, are two buildings built at the end of the 18th century by the Coigné family. The first, the Grand-Moulin, was erected between 1771 and 1779, while the second, the Petit-Moulin, bears the date of 1787, probably that of its construction. These mills, originally called Poyeau's mills, were equipped with Berton wings in the 4th quarter of the 19th century, with an upgrade of one floor for the West Mill. They ceased their activity at the beginning of the 20th century: the Petit-Moulin in 1905 and the Grand-Moulin during the First World War.

The site, located at 77 metres above sea level, dominates the Loire Valley and is aligned on an east-south-east/west-north-west axis to capture the prevailing winds. The Grand-Moulin, transformed into a home, retains three floors, while the Petit-Moulin, empty of its mechanisms, has kept its original two-storey structure and its engine shaft. The two mills, accompanied by millers' houses, were registered as historical monuments by decree of 27 May 1976, bearing witness to the importance of the Angelvin rural industrial heritage.

The Coigné family, at the origin of their construction, illustrates the local entrepreneurship of the time, where mills played a central role in the agricultural economy. Their decommissioning in the 20th century reflects technological and economic changes, marking the end of an era for traditional renewable energies. Today, the site remains a remarkable example of milling architecture, preserved for its historical and landscape value.

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