The Old Watermill of Loro Ciuffenna

In Loro there is the oldest water mill in Tuscany still in operation. It was built around the year one thousand on the edge of a ravine on the Ciuffenna torrent.
In ancient times its banks were home to several water mills which were then drastically abandoned over the years. After the war there were still six of them, then with the gradual depopulation of the countryside only this last example remained. The oldest mill in Tuscany can be reached by going down Via del Mulino which leads directly to the entrance. The interior is a small museum made up of 3 stone millstones activated by means of a ritrecine, i.e. a central shaft at the end of which are the blades that allow its movement by exploiting the impetuous flow of water. Inside the mill the three millstones each had a different function: one was used for wheat, one for corn and the other for chestnuts, but in recent years only chestnuts have been ground. The sifter that allows the sifting of flour from various derivatives such as bran, tritello and farinaccio is on display. Inside there is also a small window that offers suggestive views of the stream, I advise you not to miss this view.