European Mills Days at the Martinet Mill

A mill that tells eight hundred years of history

In the municipality of Salbertrand, in the Upper Susa Valley (Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont), the Martinet Hydraulic Mill is one of the best-preserved water-powered mills in the western Alps and the only one in the area to still house original machinery from different eras. On the occasion of the European Mills Days, the continental initiative coordinated in Italy by the Italian Association of Friends of Historic Mills (AIAMS), the building is opened to the public for a day of guided tours that turn it into a time machine.

From medieval forge to electric energy

The first documentary traces of the Martinet date back to a parchment from 1298: likely born as a forge, the plant later transformed into a multi-purpose hydraulic mill. It was long a communal mill linked to the local nobility, until the Community of Salbertrand obtained full possession, free from feudal constraints, as early as the 15th century. Visiting it means retracing the long relationship between man and water, from the feudal right to grind to the arrival of electricity.

What you will discover during the visit

• The grain mill, with its pairs of millstones and the bolter capable of selecting flours of different fineness.
• The stone press, where hemp was processed and seed oils were produced for food and lighting.
• The facilities of the Municipal Electric Company of Salbertrand, one of the oldest in Piedmont, with the dynamo control panels.
• Anecdotes and curiosities about the communal management of the building and the life and work of the miller.

A heritage to preserve

The Colombano Romean Ecomuseum, managed by the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Cottian Alps, makes the Martinet a bastion of alpine material culture. The European Mills Days were created precisely to enhance this often-forgotten architectural, technological, and cultural heritage, promoting slow and sustainable tourism among the villages of the Piedmontese mountains. It is a perfect opportunity for families, industrial archaeology enthusiasts, and those curious about popular traditions.