The little town of Oleggio Castello, which lies in the hills to the south of Lake Maggiore against the backdrop of the Monte Rosa chain, possesses a number of features of historical importance.
A major visitor attraction is the Oleggio Castello watermill. Inactive since the seventies, the mill is a symbol of the rural economy which for centuries characterised this fertile area.
The water feeding the mill came from the winding Vevera torrent, which rises in the Vergante hills; the speed of the water was (and still is) increased by three artificial waterfalls made of stones and cement.
You can still see the wheel that turned the grindstones to produce flour, as well as the system for channelling the water of the stream; in some places these channels are raised off the ground by brick pillars. Next to the mill are the ruins of the old oven where the bread for the whole area was baked.
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