Moulin de Daudet, Historic windmill in Fontvieille, France
Moulin de Daudet is a limestone windmill topped with white sails, sitting on a hilltop in Fontvieille surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation. The building overlooks the Alpilles mountain range and contains a basement museum space with documents and artifacts connected to writer Alphonse Daudet.
Built in 1814 as the Saint-Pierre windmill, the structure operated for roughly a century before World War I halted production. The war diverted wheat supplies and workers toward military efforts, ending the operation of mills in the region.
The windmill became famous through Alphonse Daudet's book 'Letters from My Windmill', which brought literary attention to this place, even though the author never actually lived here. Visitors walking through the rooms can sense how a writer's imagination transformed a real structure into something memorable in French culture.
The location sits on a hilltop with good views of the surroundings, but exposure to sun can be strong, especially in warm months. Comfortable shoes and water are advisable since shade is limited in the area.
Four additional windmills stand in the vicinity, together forming the group known as Moulins de Rome, including Sourdon, Ramet, and Tissot-Avon. This cluster creates a rare grouping of historical mills in the landscape.
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