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The Ecomuseum Molino de los Ojos
The Ecomuseum Molino de los Ojos is situated in the municipality of San Esteban de Gormaz in the province of Soria, just three kilometres from the town centre and in an attractive natural setting, on the banks of the Manantial de los Ojos spring.
The museum is situated in an historic flour mill, which has been meticulously restored to its former glory. The original building dates to 1784.
The property was constructed at the behest of the Marquise of Villena and Countess of San Esteban. It was subsequently leased by several different owners until 1904, when the Sociedad del Molino de los Ojos was established.
In 1956, the mill ceased grinding grain, but the structure continued to be used as an irrigation control system for the adjoining farms. In 1998, the building underwent a refurbishment, resulting in the current ecomuseum.
The building is divided into four floors, each of which houses part of the history and traditional economy of San Esteban de Gormaz:
The basement contains an old turbine, dating from 1916, which has been supplying the mill and the local community with energy since the beginning of the 20th century. The ground floor features a series of scale reproductions of various types of mills, including water mills and stone disc mills. The first floor houses the miller's house, which has been redesigned with the objective of educating visitors about the history of cereals and the characteristics of the cereal ecosystem. Finally, the history of San Esteban de Gormaz is explained on the first floor.
The eco-museum's objective is to showcase the traditional work of the town, with an exhibition of objects, tools and articles used by the guilds of millers, farmers, shepherds and carpenters. The collection of utensils spans the history from the 18th century to the mid-20th century and has been donated by the residents of San Esteban.
Furthermore, a variety of didactic and interactive activities are offered, with slight variations according to the season, to capitalise on the unique characteristics of each period.