Cultural Heritages in Aterno Valley (Italy): Historical Watermills for Cereals Grinding

Watermills were known and used from the Roman age; they diffused during medieval age and had a preponderance between working machines till the advent of steam engine. Fundamentally they can be classified as milis with horizontal wheel and milis with vertical wheel. Milis are complex structures, made by mechanisms, hydraulics works, buildings, and are witnesses of past cultures. The case study are the watermills of Aterno Yalley (Italy), a territory between Gran Sasso an d Sirente-Velino natura] parks. The study involves different topics: history, hydrology, mechanics, architecture. Historical analysis and mill's surveying favour the comprehension of mill 's documenta] values. They can be studied as indicators of modifications of technologies, society, economy, territory during centuries. Watermills are cultura] heritages and we believe that only through the integration of ali contributions deriving from different research fields will create a comprehensive and exhaustive description of the phenomena that have allowed the construction, the use and the actual neglected conditions of mms, and that can favour their conservation, protection and exploitation.