Logbook · 10 places

Windmills of the Sierra de los Molinos

Campo de Criptana, La Mancha, Ciudad Real

1 Villages · 5 Monuments · 1 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

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Windmills of the Sierra de los Molinos

Monument · Campo de Criptana, La Mancha, Ciudad Real

A group of ten windmills spread across the slope and summit of the Sierra de los Molinos and the Cerro de la Paz, at 750 metres above sea level, declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) in 1978. Three of them, Burleta, Infanto and Sardinero, retain their 16th-century structure. The Burleta, nicknamed Burlapobres, stands 350 paces from the village and belonged to its own millers; the Infanto took its name from the Infantas family, one of the wealthiest in the area; the Sardinero, the only one within the town itself, rises on the Cerro de la Paz. The abundance of mills in the area -34 according to the 1752 land register- has led to the suggestion that Cervantes drew on them for the adventure of don Quixote's windmills. They operated until the mid-20th century, grinding grain and later feed for livestock.

Photo: Rafa Esteve (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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