Wednesday, 11th July 2018
THE WATER-POWERED FLOUR MILLS OF THE GALATZÓ FARM INCLUDED IN THE INDUSTRIAL HISTORICAL RESTORATION PROGRAMME OF THE CONSELL DE MALLORCA
The Restoration Programme of the Industrial Historical Heritage of Mallorca has included amongst the projects to carry out the restoration of the flour water mills of the public Galatzó estate, which will contribute to the conservation and enhancement of these constructions, dated since the conquest of Mallorca (1229), which used water as a driving force and which were generally used for grinding cereals to obtain flour.
Through this programme, the Department of Culture, Heritage and Sports of the Consell de Mallorca is responsible for drafting the restoration project and provides the workforce to implement it, while the Calvià Town Hall will take care of material, transport and other associated expenses.
On 17th October 2017, the resolution of the Culture, Heritage and Sports Vice President that approved the Restoration Programme of the Industrial Historical Heritage of Mallorca was published, multi-year 2017-2020, with the aim of promoting restoration and subsequent putting into operation of the patrimonial elements included in the programme, respecting the original typology and enhancing the use of Mallorca's traditional techniques and materials. The Calvià Town Hall presented the documentation so that the restoration of the flour mills of the Galatzó public estate was included under this programme.
In the farm, it is also planned to restore and put into operation the gutter and the cistern, which will provide water to the mills that are going to be restored, as well as the irrigation canal network that waters the citrus terraces, thus achieving the restoration and putting into use the entire hydraulic system of the farm. In this case, the restoration will be financed with funds from the sustainable tourism tax, included in the proposals presented by the Consell de Mallorca.
The public Galatzó estate conserves one of the most complex hydraulic systems preserved in Mallorca. This is the case of sa font des Ratxo, with two windmills and more than 500 meters of irrigation canals.