Molinos de Consuegra, Historic windmills at Cerro Calderico, Consuegra, Spain.
Molinos de Consuegra is a group of white cylindrical windmills with conical wooden roofs standing on a hilltop beside a castle. Around twelve structures from different centuries create a distinctive profile against the sky.
These windmills were built between the 16th and 19th centuries to process grain in a dry region where water mills could not function. They served as an essential part of the local economy and food supply for generations.
These windmills feature prominently in Don Quixote, where the hero mistakes them for giants in one of literature's most famous episodes. The novel transformed this hilltop into a symbol of Spanish culture that draws visitors from around the globe.
The site sits on a hilltop with good visibility across the surrounding landscape and allows easy exploration on foot. One of the windmills can be visited and displays preserved machinery showing traditional milling techniques.
One of the windmills retains a working milling machine inside that continues to be used during traditional ceremonies each year. This preservation lets visitors watch how a mechanism centuries old still functions.
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