Description:
Windmills are known to have existed in Spain as early as the 12th century. They were mentioned in Spanish literature in the 13th century, but were immortalised by the description of Miguel Cervantes in 'Don Quixote'. Some experts have located his famous Battle with the Windmills precisely at Mota deI Cuervo. In the 19th century there were eighteen functioning windmills in this region, and foundations of others suggest that there could have been as many as twenty- three. In the 20th century their function was replaced by electricity and they fell out of use. The last one closed down in 1928. In 1955 the Asociación Amigos de los Molinos was created to defend and protect the mills and even to build new ones on the original foundations, as they were considered cultural features. However, during the following decades they fell into serious disrepair, mainly due to insufficient funds for their maintenance. Their wooden elements and their roofs were badly affected by decay and often doors and windows were completely destroyed. However in most cases the basic structures such as walls and floors were essentially sound. The present restoration has replaced all the missing mechanical features of the windmills, including sails and steering mechanisms. Roofs, doors and windows were replaced, floors, balustrades and staircases repaired and they all have been painted white. In this way the windmills, important elements of the Spanish cultural landscape, have been preserved for the future.