Fiscal

Fiscal is situated near Ordesa National Park. Find Fiscal on the main road between L'Ainsa and Broto – Torla. From the main road, cross the river towards the village centre. You'll find the mill at the other side, just around the corner. The open air museum for the batán of Lacort lies opposite. The mill took its water from the Río Ara.

When we first visited the mill locks and bars kept people out but rain and wind had free reign through the broken windows. Since then maintenance and improvements have been carried out and the mill is now open as a tourist information center during the summer months.

Pictures: 26.xii.2001, 22.viii.2006

(1) The basement in 2001.

In 2001 we couldn't enter the mill, but there was an opening big enough for our lens and we were able to take an overview of the old generator room (1).

A lot has changed since then but the corner with the engines was left undisturbed - except for some wiring and the generator wich is now turned out of the way (2). It was not possible to decipher any of the tags on the generator, but given its size the wattage must have been limited (see also Centenera).

(2) The basement in 2006.

A household had only one or two (three at the most) lightbulbs. One was located in the kitchen annex animal-shed and the other in the drawingroom annex dormitories. The light of the first bulb was dimmed when the other lamp was switched on! (Read also Baselga Abril, p358.)

The turbine is hidden in the wall at the right (2). The name of (one of) the most important companies in the history of Aragón's mills Averly S.A. Zaragoza is embossed in the front plate (4). Averly was founded in 1855 by a French civil engineer from Lyon.

Another, much bigger, turbine of the same brand can be seen in La Puebla de Roda.