Le cœur des moulins : hommes, techniques, paysages

Mills appeared in the landscape very early on under the Ancien Régime, a period of thriving activity when the miller held a prominent social role in rural areas. From the 18th century onwards, technical progress improved mill productivity. Driven by the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of steam and/or turbines eased the reliance on the seasonal flow of rivers. Le Cœur des moulins : hommes, techniques, paysages is based on an exhibition organised by the Departmental Archives of the Gironde from November 2015 to March 2016. Thanks to contributions from academics and specialists, it provides an insight into the rural economy and social networks that developed around the milling of cereals and sale of flour and other products from the mills.