RECENTLY CLOSED DUE TO THE ADVANCED AGE OF ITS OWNER

San Bartolomé and the owners of José María Gil's mill are looking for alternatives to reopen it

It was the last mill left in the municipality, but the advanced age of its owner prevented him from continuing with the activity and it has closed. The City Council and its owners are trying to find a way to "keep alive the art of making gofio"...

September 8 2016 (15:31 WEST)
San Bartolomé and the owners of José María Gil's mill are looking for alternatives to reopen it
San Bartolomé and the owners of José María Gil's mill are looking for alternatives to reopen it

The Don José María Gil Mill, the last grain milling company for making gofio and flours in the municipality of San Bartolomé, has closed its doors. Its owner is already 87 years old and, with some regret, acknowledges that he is "tired and the machinery requires strength, precision and a lot of effort for his hands". This has been explained by the San Bartolomé City Council, which is trying together with the owners of the mill to find an alternative so that it remains open and can "keep alive the art of making gofio".

The mayor of the municipality, María Dolores Corujo, the first deputy mayor and councilor for Commerce and Classified Activities, David Rocío, and the councilor for Heritage, María Dolores Fernández, have shown their "enormous concern for the survival of this space", which unites the old mill and the mill that has been active until these days. This is what they conveyed to its owner, Esteban Gil, and his brother, in a recent meeting.

 

A Site of Cultural Interest built in 1870


The mill, which was built in 1870 and acquired in 1919 by Don José María Gil, is considered a Site of Cultural Interest. It consists of a circular tower of stone, mud and lime. The interior space is distributed over three floors, one below that served as a warehouse, the second with the exit of the gofio or flour and the upper one, where the grain was dumped. In 1920, the mill was closed and remained unused until now, as the milling system was replaced by a fuel-oil engine. Currently, "it needs a thorough restoration", explains the Consistory. The part that was built later has continued to function and produce a high-quality gofio until recently.

"The San Bartolomé City Council, which has always been aware of the heritage value of the complex, has been dealing with the issue with the family for a long time, so that this situation would not occur, presenting different proposals, such as the rehabilitation of the space between different administrations, taking into account that the old mill is a BIC of enormous ethnographic value", explains the institution, which indicates its intention to find "the way to continue keeping alive the art of making gofio, of grinding the grains".

Thus, different options have been considered, taking into account the degree of protection of the old building. Among them, there would be actions on the mill and mill "differentiating the exploitation criteria". Thus, explains the City Council, it could be exploited by a company, leased and a third possibility would be to buy the entire property.

"The City Council wishes that this property of enormous heritage and historical value and the art of making gofio so rooted in our gastronomic tradition, survives beyond its current owners, thus preserving our traditions, its memory and the hard work of so many years. For this reason, several meetings have been held hoping to specify solutions as soon as possible, also bearing in mind that without the help of the Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands it will be difficult to execute the restoration of the property", concludes the Consistory.

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