The presence of many waterways in the region has produced a very significant hydraulic industry. Oil, flour, fulling and paper mills stretch along the Artière, Bédat and Tiretaine rivers.
La Tranchère or Le Mounat (depending on the periods) have featured a flour mill since the 17th century. This one(…)
The presence of many waterways in the region has produced a very significant hydraulic industry. Oil, flour, fulling and paper mills stretch along the Artière, Bédat and Tiretaine rivers.
La Tranchère or Le Mounat (depending on the periods) have featured a flour mill since the 17th century. This one appears on the map of Cassini (18th). The mill used water from the river Artière at Saint-Genès-Champanelle – also known as Ruisseau de Saint Genès – through a reach (diversion canal). The water turns the vertical water wheel which grinds the mills that crush the grains to produce flour. The mill stopped functioning in around 1900 and the site was abandoned in 1920.
Since 1997, a few enthusiasts, known as the Compagnons du Moulin de la Tranchère, have built a faithful copy of the building discovered in ruins. Inspired by Gallo-Roman archaeological discoveries and discoveries of the remains of Pompei, this reconstruction aimed to build an antique bakery (8 x 4 m) with an oven and hand mill, such as could be seen 2,000 years earlier. In 2020, the municipality acquired the mill in order to restore it and open the site to the public.
Updated on 27 May 2025 by Clermont Auvergne Volcans