Windmills are a card-to-visit the island resulting from bygone timeswhen the Graciosa Island was considered the “Azores Barn” for its extensiveproduction of cereals.

In our days the mills no longer have their original use and many werebeing adapted as housing.  The “Mó da Praia” was one of the last mills togrind cereals on the Island.

The name given to the mill (“Mó daPraia”) refers to an indispensable artifact to the miller activity(the “Mó” – millstone) andalso to its excellent location next to the only beach with sand in all theGraciosa Island, in the village of “São Mateus (Praia – Beach)”, located at the foot of “Caldeira daGraciosa” (Graciosa Caldera).

This project began in 2009 with the purpose of preserving the most ofthe architectural features of the mill. They were also recovered somepieces and utensils used in the milling activity for future memory.

The recovery process started by the dome (or cup), which was built bytraditional processes by the last master of the island with the necessaryexpertise.

The old annex allowed the alternative of grinding without the use ofwind, allowed the construction of access by internal stairs to the body of themill. The annex has been expanded to contain the social area with modernfeatures, composed by living room, kitchenette, toilet and a wind shelteredoutdoor terrace by a long wall. Next to the stairs you can see a section of thetunnel through which they passed the straps that connected the wheel motor tothe grinding part, which was recovered and is on the ground floor of the millon exhibition. On the mill body you have one double bedroom in the first floorand one bunkbed in the second floor.

The Graciosa Island probably owes its name to its enchanting landscapes,gently rolling, marked by small clusters of low mountains, hills and scatteredsmall volcanic cones, where the vast majority does not reach the 100 meters ofaltitude.  Its epithet “white island” due, presumably, to the fact thatthere are clear rocks on the south coast, where the slope of the “Serra Branca” (WhiteMountain) joins the sea.

One of the symbols of Graciosa are undoubtedly the windmills, at theDutch style, with their peculiar red roofs (domes) onion-shaped, considered themost beautiful of the archipelago, especially when its sails are unfurled,which unfortunately do not see much today.  Not long ago there were about30 mills, some of which have been restored in recent times for housing andthere are still three or four to work, one of them recovered by the GraciosaMuseum for visits.

We propose anunforgettable stay, with various activities that will help you to know theisland and its friendly and communicative people.

Enjoy your stay tothe fullest!… And get ready to want to return! We’ll be waiting …

RNET nº 7313 CC

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