Watermill of Agualva

Watermill of Agualva
Azenha da Ribeira da Agualva
Location of the watermill on the island of Terceira
General information
Type	Watermill
Architectural style	Medieval
Location	Agualva
Town or city	Praia da Vitória
Country	Portugal
Coordinates	38°47′14.11″N 27°10′12.69″W
Opened	18th century
Technical details
Material	Basalt

The Watermill of Agualva (Portuguese: Azenha da Ribeira da Agualva) is a watermill located in the civil parish of Vila Nova, in the municipality of Praia da Vitoria, island of Terceira, in the Portuguese Azores. It is part of the inventory of historical and religious buildings registered as an Inventário do Património Imóvel dos Açores (English: Inventory of Heritage Buildings of the Azores) dating back to the eighteenth century.^[1]

Architecture

Its designation as a buildings of historical significance includes two structures: a watermill/home, and an ancillary building, at one time used as a barn, located along the right margin of the Ribeira da Agualva and roadway.^[1] The watermill/house is a two-story structure, with only the residential floor visible from street-level, with an outdoor oven (constructed in a semi-circular shape) and rectangular chimney (on the left-side of the building).^[1] This simple structure was built from local volcanic rock and stone from other ruins, and painted lime white. The spans are composed of curved wicker, and the windows are guillotine-style single-pain double-hung sash.^[1] The roof is covered in traditional Azorean half-cane roof tiles with a simple awning. One of the exterior walls shows signs of the watermill's function, and site of the waterwheel.^[1]

To the left of the main house/watermill is a simple rectangular building of one floor, used as barn (now garage or storage) of the same material as the main house (no windows, but with the same rock/stone construction and roof tile).^[1] At one time it is likely that this building was used to house domesticated animals or storage of hay.^[1]

While the building is in reasonable condition, its use as a mill and associated mechanisms have been removed. Still remains an iconic example of this type of structure, common in the Azores until the late 19th century.^[1]

References

Notes

1. Bruno, Jorge Augusto Paulus (28 June 1999). "Azenha: à Ribeira da Agualva (Vila Nova)" (in Portuguese). Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura/Inventário do Património Imóvel dos Açores. Retrieved 5 January 2011.

Sources

• SRTA/DRA, ed. (2007). Inventariação - Moinhos de Vento (in Portuguese). Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Secretário Regional do Turismo e Ambiente/Direcção do Ambiente.