The Mills
Molina owes its name to the presence of numerous mills that, in the past, dotted the entire valley and were driven by the force of the water which emerges from various springs located around the town like a crown. Thanks to this important resource, the town has based its economy on the art of milling for centuries, benefiting from as many as 17 mills until 1930.
The mills were used for diverse purposes. The main activity was cereal grinding but the mills were also used for forging iron, pressing walnuts to obtain lampante oil, for fulling wool or for processing timber in the hydraulic sawmill.
The Mulin de Lorenzo was originally equipped with two wheels (to date, only one has been recovered): it was therefore possible to grind cereals and full wool at the same time. Inside you can see a large millstone and a small lathe for processing ceramics, which uses the energy produced by the mill.
The Mulino dei Veraghi has been restored using as much original material as possible, recovered from now disused mills, and is the only mill still in use in Valpolicella: here cereals are ground on stone as was done in the 16th century, in a natural environment of extraordinary beauty. Located upstream from the other mills and reachable in a few minutes on foot from the village, it uses the water of a spring that flows from the rocks a few meters away.
Both restored mills are open to group visits upon reservation.
