The millstones
The old mill relies on two millstones which are currently functional, so we may speak about 'mills', designed for grinding various types of grains. In fact, our millstones, the first a natural stone, the second a quartzite composi-te, have different working surfaces: one is furrowed ( for wheat, generally) , the second is bush-hammered (for corn or 'meliga', generally). The mill is run on electricity: an engine activates the transmission and this en-gages the millstones. This is skillfully operated by the miller who controls the di-stance between the stones by means of a wheel, thus determining the consi-stency of the flour.
The art of the miller
During the grinding action in the Vecchio Mulino, each sound calls to mind a pro-cess, a regularity or possible anomoly in the works and, at the same time, the smells/perfumes released by the grinding action reveal 'something' to the miller about the characteristics of the grain which is being transformed.
The rewrapping
Every year, according to tradition, we clean and 'rehammer' the millstones, lea-ving the stones 'naked'. Rehammering is the art of levelling the stone, redefining the furrows and realligning the surfaces to enchance the mill's production out-put. The tools used for the rehammering process are those handed down from our forefathers, different types of millstone dressing tools, interchangeable picks with sharp or blunt edges depending on their purpose, with which the sto-nes are struck in the traditon of simple, rhythmic movements of this ancient craft.
The taste of tradition
Past and present meet here in the Vecchio Mulino, where Pietro and Ludovico have both the desire and the pleasure of sharing this fundamental art, with a modern twist, thereby breathing new life into it.
