Purchased in 1951 for 5000 pesetas the Molina de Lajares stands proudly. It’s a testament to Fuerteventura’s rich agricultural past. This windmill a type tower with four blades sits on a circular podium. Handcrafted from stone mud and lime it boasts a circular base and three levels. Imagine the miller Andrés Fernández Fránquiz. He toiled here until the 1960s. His son now lovingly restores the Molina de Lajares. He plans to transform it into a tourist attraction. The ground floor served as storage. The next level housed the milling mechanism. The top floor held the main gear. An exterior stone staircase led to the middle level. A wooden interior staircase reached the top. A conical wooden roof crowns the Molina de Lajares. Underneath lies the toothed wheel its axle the spindle and the blades. A wooden axle or rudder controlled the orientation of the blades. This allowed for 360-degree rotation of the conical roof. The milling machinery was mainly wood with iron parts. A complex gear system multiplied the force of the spinning blades. This transferred power to the moving stone or grinder. The grain was poured into a hopper. It then flowed down a chute to the millstones. The resulting flour or gofio fell to the floor below. The miller collected it in sacks. The Molina de Lajares stands silent now but whispers tales of Fuerteventura’s flourishing cereal-growing past. It’s a story worth discovering.
Molino de los Llanos de la Concepción
Had anyone ever seen such a sight? The Molino de los Llanos de la Concepción stood proudly against the Fuerteventura