Menu :

Histoire

Personnages

Nature

Itinéraires par région

The cultivation of cereals was of considerable importance in the life of the Corsicans in the past. Flour and bread were at the heart of their diet and concerns. From ploughing to harvesting, from the wheat field to the mill, the life of the villagers was punctuated by agricultural work. Conflicts over cultivable land have marked the history of Monaccia. At the beginning of the 18th century, the mills were frequently destroyed by these struggles, but always rebuilt. At the end of the 19th century, there were up to sixteen mills on the land register. They bear witness to the importance of this crop in the commune. Some of them were larger than others, and some were also used as living quarters on the upper floor. They were located on the banks of the main waterways. The water was channelled to a reservoir overlooking the mill. The water was channelled to a reservoir above the mill, where it fell through a penstock directly onto the waterwheel, which was located in a vaulted room on the ground floor. The wheel turned, driving an axle that powered the millstone in the room above. The miller fed the millstone and then monitored the rotation, rate and quality of the flour produced. This was a valuable skill that made the miller an important figure in village society. The work on the land began in August with the burning (i rimuniti) carried out to enrich the soil. The soil was amended with manure. In October, as soon as the first rains came, the first ploughing took place, followed by sowing, before 11 November. The buried seeds germinated quickly (abbrugulì = "to go out to grass". A bruguliccia = wheat grass). Their fragile young shoots were subjected to the rigours of winter. From February onwards, they thickened, but it was not until March that they really began to grow. In April, the wheat comes up in ears (="veni in latti"), it needs water, a drought is serious at this time. In the past, processions, rituals and prayers tried to attract the rains. In June, the harvest began, a collective work, mobilising men and women. The sheaves of wheat were then carried and laid out on the round area, where oxen, pulling a heavy stone, turned tirelessly, until all the grain had been removed. The grain was then stored until it could be taken to the mill to make flour. The wheat cycle was completed in July, when it took a year to make a loaf of bread.

Monacia-d'Aullène

GRITACCESS:

Contact :