Moulin à vent dit moulin de Patouillet
MonumentHidden Treasure
Unique survivant angevin, le moulin de Patouillet dresse sa silhouette de bois sur cavette en val d'Aubance : dernier chandelier typique d'Anjou, il tourne encore au vent grâce à ses légendaires volées Berton.
History
In the heart of the Anjou vineyards, in Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance, the Patouillet mill stands like a miraculous survivor of a vanished world. At a time when there were as many as three hundred candlestick mills in Anjou, only two survived oblivion and ruin; this one, built entirely of wood, is undoubtedly the more accomplished and better preserved of the two. What makes the Patouillet mill absolutely unique is its very architecture: unlike stone tower mills or mills lying on the ground in Beauce, the Anjou chandelier stands on a small masonry turret called the "cavette". This ingenious elevation allows the pivoting cage to catch the prevailing winds well above the tops of the hedgerows, while providing valuable storage space for the miller. The large wooden cage, accessible via an impressive sloping ladder, houses two pairs of millstones and all the grinding machinery. The visit is both technical and poetic. When the wind rises over the Aubance valley, the Berton wings - adjustable cloths invented at the end of the 19th century - slowly and majestically set in motion. Visitors can take a close look at the traditional framework, follow the interplay of the wooden parts, and feel the muffled vibration transmitted to the floor by the chandelier as the millstones work. Everything here speaks of a thousand-year-old craft, brought to life by an exemplary restoration. The surrounding area adds to the charm of the place. Set close to the Patouillet water mill, amidst hillsides planted with vines and tuffeau, the windmill enjoys an open panorama of the gentle Anjou countryside. Photography enthusiasts will find this wooden silhouette, silhouetted against the Touraine sky, an ideal subject at any time of day. Families, industrial heritage enthusiasts and those curious about old techniques will all find something to suit them.
Architecture
The Patouillet mill belongs to the family of chandelier mills, a type typical of Anjou and distinct from the stone tower mills found in Brittany and Normandy. Its distinctive regional feature is the "cavette": a small cylindrical masonry turret with a conical roof on which the entire rotating structure rests. This raised base fulfils two essential functions - raising the cage high enough to capture the prevailing winds, and providing a sheltered storage area for the sacks of grain and flour. The mill's supporting structure is a masterpiece of traditional carpentry. At the heart of the system is the "chandelier", a fixed vertical pivot made of solid oak, the base of which rests on two intersecting joists, reinforced by eight oblique wooden links that ensure the rigidity of the whole. The upper end of the stanchion supports and allows the large rotating cage - the mill box itself - to pivot freely into the wind. This rectangular cage, accessible via a wide, sloping outside ladder, houses the transmission mechanisms and two pairs of stone millstones, capable of producing flours of varying quality depending on their spacing. The four wings are equipped with Berton flights, an adjustable cloth system patented at the end of the 19th century that allows the miller to adapt the surface area to the wind without stopping the rotation. This system, which is more efficient and safer than the simple wooden slats used in the old mills, confirms the relative modernity of the mill when it was built in the last quarter of the 19th century. The entire structure, made entirely of wood, illustrates Anjou's carpentry tradition at its most masterful.
Related Figures
Louis Martin — meûnier et propriétaire du moulin à eau de Patouillet, il rachète le chandelier en 1893 et le fait transporter depuis Gennes pour suppléer son moulin hydrauliqueLes charpentiers angevins du XIXe siècle — artisans anonymes ayant assemblé la structure bois selon les techniques traditionnelles transmises depuis le Moyen ÂgeLes meûniers de Gennes — premiers exploitants du moulin lors de sa construction dans le dernier quart du XIXe siècleLes artisans restaurateurs de 1984 — équipe ayant remis le moulin en état de fonctionnement et restitué ses ailes à leurs volées Berton d'origine
