Moulin à vent des Bleuces
MonumentHidden Treasure
Moulin à vent des Bleuces, located in Concourson-sur-Layon (Maine-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Concourson-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1757, -0.3297
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109060
Sentinelle de pierre dressée sur le bocage angevin, le moulin des Bleuces incarne cinq siècles de meunerie ligérienne. Son massereau de falun et son cône effilé en font une silhouette unique dans le paysage du pays de Doué.
History
In the heart of the Doué-la-Fontaine region, on the southern edge of the Layon vineyards, the Bleuces windmill stands as a living vestige of the rural economy of Anjou under the Ancien Régime. A cavier-type windmill - a variant typical of the tufa soils of Maine-et-Loire - it combines the robustness of a polygonal masonry base with the elegance of a sharp cone that has pierced the sky for more than three centuries. What immediately sets the Moulin des Bleuces apart from other surviving mills in the Loire region is the very material used to make its feeder: falun stone, a sedimentary limestone rich in marine fossils extracted from local quarries, gives it a blond hue and an almost living texture, depending on the time of day. Built at the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on behalf of the priory of Saint-Hilaire de Concourson, it belongs to the long tradition of seigneurial and ecclesiastical mills whose flour revenues fed the monastic communities of Anjou. The visit combines architectural contemplation with immersion in an open landscape where Atlantic light bathes the vines and meadows. Walk around the polygonal base, look up at the conical profile topped by its restored hoop house, and imagine the wings stirring in the westerly wind rising from the Layon valley. The 1978 restoration, which restored the mill's wings and crankcase, allows us to appreciate the whole in its functional integrity. The site is part of an area rich in troglodyte and wine-growing heritage. A few kilometres away, the tufa stone cellars, the dolmens of Bagneux and the AOC Coteaux du Layon vineyards make up an ideal discovery itinerary for those wishing to grasp the deep-rooted identity of Anjou's Loire Valley. The sober, silent Moulin des Bleuces is one of the most authentic landmarks.
Architecture
The Moulin des Bleuces belongs to the family of cavier or tower mills, typical of the tufa substratum regions of the Loire basin. Unlike the entirely rotating pivot mill, the cavier is a fixed tower mill, with only the crown - the massereau or cap - pivoting to direct the wings into the wind. The polygonal base, built of local limestone rubble, has thick walls that ensure the stability of the whole structure in the sometimes violent westerly winds that sweep across the heights of the Layon. The most remarkable part of the building is its conical massereau made of falun stone, a sedimentary material of marine origin that has been quarried in the Doué-la-Fontaine basin since the Middle Ages. This rock, strewn with shell and sea urchin fossils, has a golden hue and a relative lightness that made it a favourite material for local construction. The sharp profile of the cone, which was probably raised in the 19th century, gives the mill a slender verticality that is unusual among cave mills in the region. The "hucherolle" - the frame assembly that crowns the feeder and allows it to pivot - was completely rebuilt in 1978, as were the four wooden wings, restoring the appearance of a working mill.
Related Figures
Les prieurés Saint-Hilaire de Concourson (commanditaires du moulin, XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle)Les meuniers anonymes du prieuré Saint-Hilaire (exploitants des origines à la Révolution)Les artisans charpentiers et tailleurs de falun locaux (bâtisseurs du XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle)Les restaurateurs de 1978 (artisans ayant restitué hucherolle et ailes)
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Moulin à vent des Bleuces located?
Moulin à vent des Bleuces is located in Concourson-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Moulin à vent des Bleuces built?
Moulin à vent des Bleuces dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Moulin à vent des Bleuces open to visitors?
Moulin à vent des Bleuces is currently closed to visitors.
