Mallorca

"There are different types of mills on Mallorca: firstly, there are the windmills, used to grind cereals and extract water, a use we have addressed previously. Secondly, there are the watermills used to grind grains and make Spanish pepper. There are also the so-called “blood” mills or animal-drawn mills used in the field to grind cereals, while in the city they’re also used to grind gypsum, Holm oak and pine tree and other materials. The latter include the oil mills described previously in this book. Lastly, worth mentioning are the steam mills in Inca and Manacor as well as in the very city of Palma. It’s probable that, with time, these will end up absorbing most of the cereal grinding.

However, at present, the windmills are the most generalized, while also representing a characteristic motif of Mallorcan landscapes throughout the towns on the plain.

Apart from these windmills, there is a more modern variety with eight blades, though not very common, and, as such, there are no more than a dozen on the island. They are especially seen near Artà, Llucmajor and Petra. Save some differences, they are all practically identical.

The mills moved by water, in Mallorca known as molins d'aigo or molins de represa or aceñas in Spanish are relatively few and, obviously, concentrated in the mountainous part of the island. Some are very old, such as some located around Palma. There are some assertions that these date from the Muslim period. They feature a wall of water which falls on the turbine. They’re used to grind cereals, though some are also used to make Spanish pepper. In Esporles we find mills dedicated to making paper as we’ll describe further below. In general, these mills grind two cuarteras (14.68 liters) daily or one, depending on the lesser or greater size of the cup used. This cup is where the water accumulates for it to fall with greater force on the wheel, turning it in the process. Some mills operate directly over streams in the mountains; others, located on minor currents, do it through ponds (safareigs) which gather water, though their work is discontinuous.

Apart from these, we have those moved by animals (molins de sang or “blood mills”), generally drawn by mules or donkeys. It’s difficult to estimate the number of these mills; however, to provide an idea of their abundance, suffice it to say that practically no major property lacks this type of turning mill, especially on the plain. It is used exclusively for domestic needs, and their performance is scant."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: General Part. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.