Late Medieval Italian Windmills?

[Atheling]

Hi,

I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm looking for source material, pictures in particular, of late Medieval Italian Windmills circa 1500.

Does anyone have any idea what they would look like? I've done several searches on Google and Pinerest and come up with nothing that is clearly circa 1500.....

As far as windmills go they are 'period' specific so it's important that I get it right.

Hopefully we have some Italian members (or anyone!) who can help me out(?)

Kind Regards

[Sirolf]

Hi Atheling,

I remember looking into this myself a few years ago. Unfortunately there isn't much source material mostly because watermills seem to have been overwhelmingly more prevalent in Italy, especially in the Po valley. Where there are -and have been- windmills (like in the Salento plains or in Sardinia), their look and basic characteristics have remained unchanged for centuries, so it's not a stretch to imagine that they would have looked pretty much the same in the 15th and 16th centuries as they did in the 18th and 19th. I've attached a few reference pictures below, as you can see they are basic stone cilinders with a conical "cap" that rotates to meet the wind:



Hope this helps. If I were you I would just go with watermills for Italy, unless you are trying to represent southern coastal plains or more remote hilly regions.

Fran

[Condottiere]

Book from 1885: The Windmill as a Prime Mover

IIRC, post mills and tower mills are common north of the Alps and only tower mills around the Mediterranean. 

Some  of these links don't work, so maybe use the Wayback Machine? Windmills & Watermills

Looks almost like the above two: Ruins of ancient Venetian windmills built in 15th century, Lassithi Plateau, Crete, Greece. Grain, mill.



The Spanish Windmill, Don Quixote of the lagoon

A solitary windmill emerges from Orbetello’s lagoon, in Tuscany. It is the so-called Spanish Windmill, an untamed stone Don Quixote that guards the town.

Up until a few centuries ago, there used to be nine of these mills. They had been built in the 15th century by the people of Siena, who were lords of the city between the 1400s and the mid-1500s.

They were all aligned, and used the energy of water – flowing back and forth in the pond every six hours – to mill grain. Wheat flour, on which the people and soldiers of Orbetello depended for their life, was then transported to dry land on typical small boats called “barchini”.

Then, in 1557, the Kingdom of Naples took control over the region and by order of Philip II the Spanish created the State of Presides, making Orbetello its capital. The mills were renovated, strengthened, and converted with new sails that could exploit the Mistral and Sirocco winds.

Time has spared only one of the nine buildings. Like a stubborn Don Quixote, that solitary windmill continues to safeguard the lagoon.

Windmills of Rhodes - a study made in 1992

[levied troop]

Funnily enough, having a look at this myself and guess what I found:
https://www.grandmanner.co.uk/28mm_Spanish_Napoleonic--category--13.html

Unfortunately only available painted but the build looks to be usable back to the 13th century.

[Atheling]

Hi Atheling,

I remember looking into this myself a few years ago. Unfortunately there isn't much source material mostly because watermills seem to have been overwhelmingly more prevalent in Italy, especially in the Po valley. Where there are -and have been- windmills (like in the Salento plains or in Sardinia), their look and basic characteristics have remained unchanged for centuries, so it's not a stretch to imagine that they would have looked pretty much the same in the 15th and 16th centuries as they did in the 18th and 19th. I've attached a few reference pictures below, as you can see they are basic stone cilinders with a conical "cap" that rotates to meet the wind:



Hope this helps. If I were you I would just go with watermills for Italy, unless you are trying to represent southern coastal plains or more remote hilly regions.

Thanks Fran! Excellent stuff.

Do you know of any sites where I could source pictures of the Watermills?

Kind Regards

[bluewillow]

I have a few for you mate







Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

I have a few for you mate







Cheers
Matt

Wow Matt!! Above and beyond the call of duty mate!! 

That certainly gives me something to work with 

EDIT: Coming to think of it I think that Grand Manner do a watermill..... I'll head over there and check ASAP>

Kind Regards

[bluewillow]

Glad I could help mate,

I am making one for the battlefield site of Bauge, I could make a master and cast you one for your demo game?

The first image looks very similar to Fougeres Chateau (Brittany) waterwheel, which is close to where I live.



Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

Thanks Matt, I should be able to handle it as I'm planning on making most of the scenery and terrain myself, at least at present, as the day draws nearer I might very well change my mind!! 

Kind Regards

[bluewillow]

No worries mate,

I need to to make four or five, hence the mold.

Cheers
Matt

[Sirolf]

Hi Atheling, apologies vacation got on the way.

The pictures above are really great, added a couple more below:




In terms of terrain, there's a very cool watermill lock from grandmanner that I've been wanting to use but it costs £105 for some reason, but could be nice inspiration:

[Atheling]

Thanks Sirolf 

Grand Manner are quite expensive but they make some of the best resin terrain pieces out there IMHO.

TBH, I'm still at a wee bit of a loss as to whether to buy a piece or make it myself. It's likely to come down to time as per usual 

Kind Regards