The Mill at Issert

The Mill at Issert is built on two erratic blocks on the left bank of the Dranse on the upper side of the village.
It is made up of three mills: 1. The upper mill; 2. The centre mill (on the hopper one can read the date of 1874, which is still not the date of origin, as an older document dating back to 1633 proves); 3. the lower mill.
A 40cm space separates each mill. The millstones are housed on two beams supported by a wooden block. The wooden surrounds of the millstone serve to gather the flour.
Thanks to a channelling system of diversion, the water diverted from the river Dranse transfers its force to the mechanisms (from the stream and then through the wooden blades). The water's power can turn up to two mills at once, during which time the third mill rests. Fourteen buckets are sufficient to turn the wheel.
The mill's present 7 hour output is 50 kg and it can grind rye, wheat and corn. Rye and wheat are harvested in August and dried on the racks. An alarm bell rings when the hopper is empty. The arches serve to store the grain put aside by the miller as his salary. Later, this method of payment was replaced by a monetary system. A long silk sieve is used to refine the flour. The miller used to work all year round, fetched the grain himself and brought back the flour. He lived in a nearby room which was also his bedroom, kitchen and workshop. A little wooden stove kept him warm and cooked his meals. The small room also contained a table, a chair, a bed with drawers of minute proportions and a carpenter's bench. At the back of a cupboard a small hole opened onto the outside and enabled the miller to chase away foxes.
During winter, the mill operated day and night to prevent the formation of ice in the granaries. Its smooth functioning prevented an irregular wear on the stones. When they became too smooth, the miller used to roughen the stones to give them back their coarseness, so indispensable for good milling quality. At Issert's mill, this function was carried out by Adelaide Oppikofer. In those days in winter the dull noise of the paddles resounded in harmony across the air in the granges. The extracted grain was poured off, bagged and brought to the mills or stored in the holds of the granary, which was constructed in a very particular way (4 to 8 pillars with their uppers covered by flat stones, preventing the rodents from getting into the granaries, supported the wooden structure). In former days ryebread was the basic family food, as it could be stored a long time.
"Although the medieval archives say nothing about the normal workings of the water, they often mention the damage to the mills caused by sudden floods. In 1285/6 one of these ravaged all the machines installed at Issert, at Orsière and at la Duay" (p82) "In 1298/9, 18 centimes were paid for the purchase and installation of 2 millstones bought from la Mollière of Liddes and installed at the mill at Issert. Another 5 centimes were added for the transport. (p. 429, note 255: P. Dubuis, an alpine economy at the end of the Middle Ages, Orsières, l'Entremont and neighbouring regions)".
The previous deed of ownership written in Latin dates from 1633. In 1906, Joseph Copt had it translated in order to prove his water rights. This parchment, 58cm x 40cm, signed by Magenou, Grand Bailiff of the Valais from 1631 to 1637 confirmed the water rights as at 12th December 1633. In 1930, another Dranse flood swept away a part of the mills. Between 1953 and 1955, the land surface was given to the Hôtel Edelweiss at La Fouly, where it remains today.
The register of the Federal Office for grains shows that the three mills were operational until 1953.

On 14th June 1984, Adelaïde and Walter Oppikofer-Davoli took over the old mill at Issert from Maxime Davoli, husband of Marie born Copt, for demolition.
M. Oppikofer already very interested in things of the past wanted rather to conserve the old mill. He asked for the advice of Ballenberg, who sent Dr. Herbert Brutch and M. Gähwiler. They advised him to renovate it and apply for the approval of the office for the protection of the patrimony of the French-speaking Valais. M. Léonard Closuit advised him to contact the Service for historic monuments and have the mill classified. M. Aymon, responsible for surveying the works, established the estimates. However the state of dilapidation was such that it was impossible to establish a valid offer for the maçonry and civil engineering parts. In order to verify the state of the walls and establish the extent of the damage, it was necessary to strip down the interior of the building. The water connection to the Dranse was dismantled, the millstone recovered with materials, the entry millrace remade, and a study of the reconnection of the conduits had to be undertaken. In 1986, with the kind of faith that lifts mountains, all the Opplikofer family set to work.

For all enquiries: moulin.issert@st-bernard.ch

OTHER LINKS IN THE WORLD:

THE INTERNATIONAL MOLINOLOGICAL SOCIETY
MOULIN D'AUFFAY
ILE DE BREHAT: LE MOULIN A MAREE DU BIRLOT
THE SOCIETY FOT THE PRESERVATION OF OLD MILLS

	The Mill at Issert is built on two erratic blocks on the left bank of the Dranse on the upper side of the village. It is made up of three mills: 1. The upper mill; 2. The centre mill (on the hopper one can read the date of 1874, which is still not the date of origin, as an older document dating back to 1633 proves); 3. the lower mill. A 40cm space separates each mill. The millstones are housed on two beams supported by a wooden block. The wooden surrounds of the millstone serve to gather the flour. Thanks to a channelling system of diversion, the water diverted from the river Dranse transfers its force to the mechanisms (from the stream and then through the wooden blades). The water's power can turn up to two mills at once, during which time the third mill rests. Fourteen buckets are sufficient to turn the wheel. The mill's present 7 hour output is 50 kg and it can grind rye, wheat and corn. Rye and wheat are harvested in August and dried on the racks. An alarm bell rings when the hopper is empty. The arches serve to store the grain put aside by the miller as his salary. Later, this method of payment was replaced by a monetary system. A long silk sieve is used to refine the flour. The miller used to work all year round, fetched the grain himself and brought back the flour. He lived in a nearby room which was also his bedroom, kitchen and workshop. A little wooden stove kept him warm and cooked his meals. The small room also contained a table, a chair, a bed with drawers of minute proportions and a carpenter's bench. At the back of a cupboard a small hole opened onto the outside and enabled the miller to chase away foxes. During winter, the mill operated day and night to prevent the formation of ice in the granaries. Its smooth functioning prevented an irregular wear on the stones. When they became too smooth, the miller used to roughen the stones to give them back their coarseness, so indispensable for good milling quality. At Issert's mill, this function was carried out by Adelaide Oppikofer. In those days in winter the dull noise of the paddles resounded in harmony across the air in the granges. The extracted grain was poured off, bagged and brought to the mills or stored in the holds of the granary, which was constructed in a very particular way (4 to 8 pillars with their uppers covered by flat stones, preventing the rodents from getting into the granaries, supported the wooden structure). In former days ryebread was the basic family food, as it could be stored a long time. "Although the medieval archives say nothing about the normal workings of the water, they often mention the damage to the mills caused by sudden floods. In 1285/6 one of these ravaged all the machines installed at Issert, at Orsière and at la Duay" (p82) "In 1298/9, 18 centimes were paid for the purchase and installation of 2 millstones bought from la Mollière of Liddes and installed at the mill at Issert. Another 5 centimes were added for the transport. (p. 429, note 255: P. Dubuis, an alpine economy at the end of the Middle Ages, Orsières, l'Entremont and neighbouring regions)". The previous deed of ownership written in Latin dates from 1633. In 1906, Joseph Copt had it translated in order to prove his water rights. This parchment, 58cm x 40cm, signed by Magenou, Grand Bailiff of the Valais from 1631 to 1637 confirmed the water rights as at 12th December 1633. In 1930, another Dranse flood swept away a part of the mills. Between 1953 and 1955, the land surface was given to the Hôtel Edelweiss at La Fouly, where it remains today. The register of the Federal Office for grains shows that the three mills were operational until 1953. On 14th June 1984, Adelaïde and Walter Oppikofer-Davoli took over the old mill at Issert from Maxime Davoli, husband of Marie born Copt, for demolition. M. Oppikofer already very interested in things of the past wanted rather to conserve the old mill. He asked for the advice of Ballenberg, who sent Dr. Herbert Brutch and M. Gähwiler. They advised him to renovate it and apply for the approval of the office for the protection of the patrimony of the French-speaking Valais. M. Léonard Closuit advised him to contact the Service for historic monuments and have the mill classified. M. Aymon, responsible for surveying the works, established the estimates. However the state of dilapidation was such that it was impossible to establish a valid offer for the maçonry and civil engineering parts. In order to verify the state of the walls and establish the extent of the damage, it was necessary to strip down the interior of the building. The water connection to the Dranse was dismantled, the millstone recovered with materials, the entry millrace remade, and a study of the reconnection of the conduits had to be undertaken. In 1986, with the kind of faith that lifts mountains, all the Opplikofer family set to work. For all enquiries: moulin.issert@st-bernard.ch





OTHER LINKS IN THE WORLD: THE INTERNATIONAL MOLINOLOGICAL SOCIETY MOULIN D'AUFFAY ILE DE BREHAT: LE MOULIN A MAREE DU BIRLOT THE SOCIETY FOT THE PRESERVATION OF OLD MILLS