Can Batlle, Cultural heritage watermill in Vallirana, Spain

Can Batlle is a rectangular farmhouse of ground floor, upper floor and attic, with a two-slope Arab-tile roof, in Vallirana. Its main facade is asymmetrical, with a round-arched doorway with voussoirs and stone-trimmed openings and corners. A mill was attached to it, and the building retains 17th-century windows.

The mill dates to the late 15th century, confirmed by ceramics found in an excavation in the early 2000s. In 1602 the farmhouse was built attached to it, and the grinding room was paved with broken millstones from the original mill. A runner stone was added in 1659, half of which survives. Around the mid-19th century a second flour mill with a 10-metre water wheel replaced the medieval one, operating until the early 1920s.

The building now serves as a cultural center that hosts exhibitions about local craftsmanship and everyday life from past centuries. Visitors experience how the community once organized itself around this working mill and the trades connected to it.

The site is accessible on weekdays and Saturdays with varying opening hours throughout the day. It is advisable to check the specific visiting times in advance and wear appropriate footwear for walking through the natural surroundings.

The building displays the hydraulic systems that were engineered to support the grinding operation. These technical solutions were locally innovative and demonstrate the practical knowledge of craftspeople from that era.