Javierre de Olsón

detail of the wooden wheel in the upper mill

Javierre is most easily to reach from the main road between L'Ainsa and Barbastro when you turn to Lamata in Mesón de Ligüerre de Cinca. Following the narrow road leading to Olsón you'll reach Javierre. Walk down towards the Río Susía, cross the river and there you are. A lovely way to enjoy the landscape is to walk in from the north starting at Castejón de Sobrarbe. Take a map and binoculars with you. The region teems with birdlife. The mills tap water from the Río Susía.

Pictures: 05.iii.2003

The lower grain mill consists of one small room. One pair of stones was mounted close to the window and took about half of the available space. The construction is one of the smallest I've seen. It's smaller than the equally humble mill in Aso de Sobremonte, or Torrolluala del Obico and has about the same size as the mill of Pedro Buil.

The cárcavo is wide open, a feature we've seen in two of the afore-mentioned mills and in Bara and Ainielle. The axle stands still upright, but the rueda rests below the rubble. I suppose it was made mainly of wood as this is the case in the upper mill.

The lower harinero has no direct connection with the embalse. Water had to flow through the cárcavo of the upper mill before it could reach the rueda of this mill. There is no extra reservoir to stock the water between both mills. When the upper mill was running, the lower could only join in or flush the water.

A text written on the door refers to the level of the waters of the Río Susia during a flood in August 1963 :

aeste nibel de hariba llego la riada el dia ?3 de Agosto año 1963