Mazonovo (variant: Mazo Novo; translation: "new trip hammer") is a former town and now a museum in the municipality of

Taramundi Taramundi is a municipality in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It neighbors on the north side with San Tirso de Abres and Vegadeo, on the east side with Villanueva de Oscos and Vegadeo, on the south side with Santa Eulalia de Oscos and A Pont ...

, Asturias, Spain. It is located between the

Cabreira River La Cabrera (Cabreira in Leonese language) is a comarca (shire) in the province of León, Spain. Its surface is 115.87 km² and the population was 4,227 inhabitants in 2007. The Sierra de la Cabrera range dominates the landscape of this mou ...

and the Turía River, southeast of the town of Taramundi, northwest of

Veigas As Veigas is one of four parishes (administrative divisions) in Taramundi, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. Situated at above sea level, it is in size, with a population of 98 (INE ...

, and from

Oviedo Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...

, the capital of Asturias. According to the census of 2005, the population is four people. The meaning behind the translated name is derived from the iron products' region of the Oscos- Eo rivers. The Mazonovo forge stands near the road to Fonsagrada Vegadeo near Santa Eulalia de Oscos. The forge is reached by crossing the Mazonovo River, a tributary of the Agüeira River. The current owners of the Mazonovo mill date back to the early 19th century. The first mill at Mazonovo was built in 1890. In 1941, a new mill was built on the Cabreira's opposite riverbank to house the mill and powerplant. The original mill, restored in 2003, was then incorporated into the museum. Asturias' director of Biodiversity and Landscape recently gave support to an initiative for natural spawning of trout at Mazonovo.

Museum

No longer a town, Mazonovo has been converted into a museum by Conjunto Etnográfico de Mazonovo (''Joint Mazonovo Ethnography''). Known as "Museo de los Molinos de Mazonovo" (''Museum of the Mills of Mazonovo''), or "Mazonovo, Museo de los Molinos", it is dedicated to the mills, both water and manual, that were used for grinding

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

. At one time, a

maquiladoras A (), or (), is a word that refers to factories that are largely duty free and tariff-free. These factories take raw materials and assemble, manufacture, or process them and export the finished product. These factories and systems are present t ...

, the mills of Mazonovo evolved from prehistoric times until present day. Some of the mills of Mazonovo are reproductions, while others are restored originals. In addition, Mazonovo features utensils used by ancient

millwright A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mecha ...

s. Building 1 has hand mills from Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations dating around 3500 BC. It also displays the interior of the gravity mill whose wheel, in diameter, is on the outside. There is also Mazonovo's first mill that used a hydraulic press, a medieval mill that visitors can set in motion, a manual Chinese mill, and a hydraulic Brazilian (''

Monjolo A water scoop is a simple hydropower machine – that is, a machine used to extract power from the flow of water. Unlike a water wheel it operates intermittently, like a seesaw: A container (a bucket or cup) at the end of a lever is filled with ...

'') mill. Building 2 has a power station for a modern mill running without interruption that can be disassembled to observe the moving parts. It features a glass top and panels with tools. A practical explanation of the operation of the mill's grinding stones is included. A wooden hammer mill, built entirely in oak, is located outside and features a water reservoir. The Al-Bayda mill dates from circa 7000 BC and was found approximately from the

Dead Sea The Dead Sea ( he, יַם הַמֶּלַח, ''Yam hamMelaḥ''; ar, اَلْبَحْرُ الْمَيْتُ, ''Āl-Baḥrū l-Maytū''), also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank ...

. Replicas of windmills from different eras and cultures are also displayed. The museum is not only composed of exhibits, but also allows for visitors to participate in milling activities. Other activities include a workshop to learn how to grind stone.

References

{{Authority control Former populated places in Spain Mill museums in Spain Museums in Asturias Museums established in 1998 Agriculture museums in Spain