Moinho de Água do Poucochinho
Portugal is a country which is very proud of its past. In the Algarve, many towns and villages hold festivals, celebrations and cultural events exhibiting the region’s history. When I learned of a unique Monchique museum, I made arrangements for a visit and the president of the Junta de Freguesia de Monchique José Gonçalo agreed to meet us for a detailed explanation and guided tour.
Senhor Gonçalo began by explaining how Monchique got its name and the Roman influence on the mountain. Mon means mountain and chique is a derivation of cicus or circle. Monchique was one of the four important mountain ranges of the region known as Andalusia, which historically included Portugal.
The Moinho de Água do Poucochinho watermill is named for the family that owned and operated it. The structure is an excellent example of intelligent design. The wheel or driver for the mill is at water level, while the grinding mechanism is above on the next level adjacent to the living quarters.
Our tour started with the living quarters, where we saw the family room, living and sleeping areas, and the kitchen. An essential feature of the kitchen was its skirt chimney; its base was usually the width of the entire kitchen. It was in this place that the family spent a lot of time. It served as a heating stove, kitchen stove and even a smoker to “cure” the sausages. The sausage was a mainstay of the Portuguese diet in the interior and mountainous regions, and many varieties, including the blood sausage, are still popular today.
The mill was in the next room. A vertical shaft from the water wheel below operated the mill. It had a vertical controlling bar or brake leading down to the level below that could stop the rotating wheel if necessary. There was also a clever noise maker that would warn the miller if the rotation was too fast. The mill consisted of a large, heavy circular stone made from nepheline, a very hard rock, fortunately available not far away. This stone had a hole in the middle – the eye. It would rotate atop a stationary stone underneath. The grain, either wheat or maize (corn), was fed into the hole by a chute and the ground flour was collected in a tray at the base of the mill. Finally, the flour was sifted before being bagged. Currency was not always available amongst the local population in the early 1900s, so trade by bartering was common.
We went down to the ground level to see the water wheel and the mechanism that drives it. The wheel is horizontal and rotates due to water pressure on the paddles. This causes the shaft (spindle) to rotate, which drives the millstone on the upper level. The brake, operated from a handle on the upper level, can stop the wheel, and the speed of rotation can be regulated by more or less pressure on the paddles.
Next, we explored the grounds where the miller’s family had a vegetable garden. Now it’s a picnic area with stone tables and benches under the shade of lofty green trees. Some of these trees were bearing edible fruit and nuts. There were a couple of prolific castanha trees (the Portuguese chestnut), a walnut tree and some citrus, among others.
Further along and up the hill, we saw the Ribeira da Tinta Negra, the river which supplied the watermill. It had a fork with a solid gate to divert the river from one stream to the other depending on the volume and velocity of flow.
The whole operation was very much a family affair. In 1938, there were 25 water mills in operation in the municipality, but by the mid-1980s, only two remained, and they were operated by diesel engines. In 2008, the family decided to sell the property, and the Monchique council was keen to acquire it to preserve this important aspect of Monchique’s, and indeed Portugal’s, history.
Please note that the facility is only open on request
José Gonçalo (+351) 282 912 871 or (+ 351) 925 130 231
Main photo courtesy of jf-monchique.pt
Caldas de Monchique is very close to the Moinho de Água. With origins going back to Roman times, this village, which was built around Portugal’s famous thermal springs, is definitely worth a visit.
With a pH of 9.5, Monchique water is the most alkaline in Portugal. Rich in bicarbonate, sodium and fluoride, it has been recommended for many ailments, including respiratory tract problems and musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis. Captured at a depth of around 900 metres, it leaves the catchment at 32˚ C all year round, regardless of the outside temperature. The depth of the aquifer gives it physical-chemical stability and makes it immune from external influences from the earth’s surface. There is a bottling plant here, and Monchique water is available in retail outlets throughout Portugal.
