Scano di Montiferro, Via dei Mulini

Once upon a time, hydraulic mills numbered sixteen, about 500 m apart. They constituted the largest concentration of mills in a limited area, the only case in all of Sardinia. Present in the territory of Scano since at least the end of the 17th century, they probably originated from the agricultural colonization of Camaldolese monks, already in the Middle Ages. This highlights the importance of a real paleoindustrial activity, which can also be detected by the complex system of canalization and dry stone walls for vegetable gardens.
Today there are seven mills left, partly with a horizontal wheel, partly with a vertical wheel. The oldest are located upstream, while the newer ones are located downstream and are also in better condition.
These are simple exposed stone buildings, covered with a sloping roof. Those called “Sa Macchina Manna” (the big machine) and “Sa Macchina noa” (the new machine) still have their gears and operating mechanisms, set in motion by the driving force of abundant water, supplied by the Montiferru hydrographic basin.

History of studies
The mills were the subject of C. A. Cherchi's degree thesis, The hydraulic mills of Scano di Montiferro, Politecnico di Torino, academic year 2002-03.

Bibliography
C. A. Cherchi, The hydraulic mills of Scano di Montiferro, sos mills of Abba de Iscanu, Solinas Polygraph, Nuoro, 2005.

How to get there
The mills are located a short distance from the town, along the Mannu River, accessible from the road to Sagama, from which, after passing the Nuracale nuraghe, you reach the springs of Sant'Antioco.