Mit-tromba, mill-bronja u mill-parjol : program 16 : l-imtiehen tal-fuel

Abstract

A series that looks into the history of windmills in the Maltese islands. Most windmills (Maltese: imtieħen tar-riħ) in Malta were built during the Order of St. John. Those in the countryside were used exclusively for food production, such as wheat, barley or vines, while some of those within the fortified walled cities in Valletta and the Three Cities had a military use, for the production of gunpowder. In comparison to the rest of the world, including The Netherlands that is more noticed for them, Malta has the most number of windmills on its land. There are approximately a windmill for each 9 kilometers. Despite the survival of the several windmills only three of them are still at functional status, visibly with their sails in place. Other more traditional mills in Malta include those that made use of animals, such as horses and donkeys, to turn the mill. A functioning Maltese windmill has six sails.