Molin dei Padre

The Molin de i Padre is located in Val Fiorentina – Selva di Cadore, more precisely in the district of Toffol. Here, just a hundred years ago, seven hydraulic machines were operating thanks to the Loschiesuoi stream, which flows right next to the mill: four of these machines were taken away by the landslide of 1917.
Among them was the mill of the Lorenzini family (known as i Padre) and hence the name “Molin de i Padre”. Their mill served to dehusk barley and grind wheat: cereals that were cultivated in the village along with rye and fava beans. Above the mill was a carpentry shop with a saw and a planer, which operated with the same water power from the Loschiesuoi.  The mill remained in operation until the 1960s, then fell into disuse and was abandoned (the wheels, the interior, and the roof were now partially destroyed) until 2016.
Someone, in fact, believed they could give a happy ending to this story of a past life, now almost hopeless: thanks to the private contribution of the “Regole” of Selva di Cadore (an ancient institution still present in some areas of Cadore) and a handful of volunteers, the 1800 mill has started turning again, along with the entire internal mechanism that “pests the barley”.