{"id":38482,"date":"2021-01-19T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelemiliaromagna.it\/fiumicello-mill\/"},"modified":"2023-01-09T15:09:26","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T14:09:26","slug":"fiumicello-mill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelemiliaromagna.it\/en\/fiumicello-mill\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiumicello Mill: a great day out for all the family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Premilcuore<\/a> is a picturesque old village perched on the banks of the River Rabbi in the Romagna Apennines, in Forl\u00ec-Cesena province. A mile or two away towards Florence, the outlying hamlet of Fiumicello<\/a><\/strong> is an elegant clutch of stone houses on the edge of the Foreste Casentinesi National Park<\/a>. This timeless place is the starting point for the Fiumicello Nature Walk<\/a><\/strong>, an easy loop in the surrounding woods<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Premilcuore<\/p>\n

We soon happen upon Fiumicello Mill<\/strong> or Mengozzi Mill, from the name of the family that owns it. This enchanting spot is a real delight, and not just for the kids<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The old mill has been here since 1544<\/strong>, when it was known as Tagliate di Sopra Mill. The land register from 1828\u201330 gives us a detailed picture. Owned by one Domenico Mengozzi, it comprised two rooms (one on each floor) and a single grinding wheel.
\nA second wheel and a third storey were added in the early 20th century, but the mill was abandoned<\/strong> after World War II after mass emigration from this part of the Apennines.<\/p>\n

\"Fiumicello<\/p>\n

It lay forgotten until 1993<\/strong>, when it was restored to working order for educational purposes and general interest. The Mengozzi family still owns it and, together with Signor Maurizio, is continuing the old family tradition<\/strong> with a passion.
\nVisitors can experience the magic of stepping back in time to discover how flour was milled until just a few decades ago<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mengozzi Mill isn\u2019t your typical mill with an external sail. Rather, its handmade oak turbine is turned by the water that races in through a slide gate made of steel and wood from a pond upstream. The water is drawn from the River Rabbi<\/strong> via a system of overflow inlets before rejoining the stream just down from the mill.
\nThe turbine turns the grinding stone on the upper floor<\/strong>. A funnel-shaped hopper over the millstone holds the grain, which is fed down in a controlled flow by a device called a docciola<\/em>. The ground flour gathers in a large stone container or matriccio<\/em> below.<\/p>\n