Windmills in Mykonos
In the Cycladic islands, windmills were used to grind wheat and barley into flour. On Mykonos, for example, flour was used as currency. The first windmills arrived in the 16th century from the Venetians. Today, 16 windmills are left in Mykonos. Several are in the town center of Chora and tourists visiting Mykonos can go inside. Other windmills are now privatized or turned into lodgings. Apono Mili, a windmill in the main port of Mykonos, become an outdoor museum. Boni’s windmill is now part of Mykonos’s Agricultural Museum. The Museum is open from 4 to 8 pm in the evening during the summer.
Building a Greek Windmill
Windmills in the Cycladic islands are made of wood, and the sail is made from cotton fabric. Greeks used the same technique for ship’s sails. When the sails of the windmill turned, the grinding stone turned, and grain was crushed into flour. The mills could work all day and night, so they could take advantage of the Meltemi Winds that blow through the Cyclades. Villagers used to take their crops to the mill, and the mill man kept 10% of the product as payment. Building a windmill in the Cyclades was not easy. The exact position was important. They needed to face the northerly Meltemi winds and often were built like lighthouses at the end of capes. They also needed to be close to villages so that the villagers could easily access the windmills.
Windmills in Ios
Ios is in the Cycladic island chain, between Santorini and Naxos. The island is known for its beautiful beaches and has some of the most beautiful white buildings in Greece. Ios has 12 windmills that overlook the town of Chora. 3 of them are restored. Similarly to windmills in Mykonos, the windmills of Ios were for wheat and barley, and they create a peaceful scene beside the bars and tavernas of Ios’s town.
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