The stone tower
And its sails.
Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Forclaz Windmill is an old stone windmill between the towns of Colón and San José in Entre Ríos, built between 1888 and 1890 by the Swiss immigrant Juan Bautista Forclaz, who reached the area in 1859 and whose family was among the founders of the San José colony. It became a symbol of the early settlers' effort, and of a story of hope and frustration together: it needed strong winds, so it never worked at full capacity. Its round tower is stone, and its four sails sat in a zinc dome that turned to face the wind. Inside are huge wooden gears and grinding presses, machines for bagging flour and printing the sacks, and an old spinning wheel, surrounded by five hectares with the Forclaz family house and an old well. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1985 and has been a provincial museum since 2013. Guided tours run every hour and take half an hour, with dramatised tours in some seasons.
And its sails.
The milling works.
Swiss in Entre Ríos.
Primeros Colonos, between Colón and San José, Entre Ríos
Never at full capacity, as it needed strong winds; today it is a museum.