Molí d’en Garleta

Gazing up at Molí d’en Garleta, can you imagine the creak of its wooden beams as the wind whipped its sails? This windmill, perched on the edge of Es Jonquet, whispers tales of Palma’s past. Molí d’en Garleta, whose name comes from its owner Gaspar Flexes i Balaguer, nicknamed “Garleta,” stands as a testament to a time when wind powered the island’s industry. It is one of nine windmills that once dotted the cliffs of Es Jonquet. Names like Molí d’en Gelós, Molí d’en Budellet, and Molí del Nom de Déu echo through history, though some, like Molí d’en Toni Trossos, exist only as remnants. Molí d’en Moll met its demise in 1975. Molí d’en Garleta, appearing on maps as early as 1644, served a crucial role in the local community. It ground grain into flour, harnessing the power of the Mediterranean wind. Its cylindrical tower, a sturdy design against strong gusts, rises eight meters high, its 4.55-meter diameter walls nearly a meter thick. Imagine the moliner, or miller, hauling sacks of grain up the spiral staircase, its stone steps 70 centimeters wide, to the top of the tower. He would pour the grain into the tolva, a wooden hopper, from where it would travel down a canal into the waiting maw of the millstones. Two massive stone wheels, two meters in diameter and 30 centimeters thick, ground the grain. The lower stone remained stationary, while the upper stone, connected to the wind-driven sails, rotated. The rhythmic grinding, a constant soundscape of Es Jonquet, produced the flour that fed the city. By 1881, the mill was firmly known as Molí d’en Garleta. Fast forward to 1993, when the Palma City Council purchased the dilapidated mill. A collaborative effort between the council, the Molinos Association, and the Consell de Mallorca’s Department of Promotion and Employment brought Molí d’en Garleta back to life. In 2005, it reopened, no longer a working mill but the Museu dels Molins, the Mill Museum. Today, Molí d’en Garleta stands not only as a restored landmark but as a living museum. It showcases the evolution of Mallorcan technology and the history of Palma’s flour industry. Guided tours bring the stories of the mill to life, educating visitors about the ingenuity of the island’s past and the enduring legacy of Molí d’en Garleta.