The mill in Zornasco takes its name from Tacc, the nickname in dialect of the last miller of an enterprising family in Toceno, in the Vigezzo Valley. The family owned the mill from the end of the 19th century, keeping it in operation until the end of 1979, the last of 54 mills still active in the Vigezzo Valley.
It is a 17th-century building spread over two floors, one of which is in the basement. On the east side there are the hydraulic drive structures, two vertical wheels and a horizontal third wheel located inside the building. The mill was once driven by the strength of the water in the river Melezzo, which flows about 50 metres (160 ft) from the building.
Purchased in the early 2000s by the Municipality of Malesco, the Mulino dul Tacc has undergone restoration work aimed at recovering the function of the gears and the building. In 2007 it became part of the Soapstone and Stonemason Ecomuseum.
Inside there are three millstones dedicated to the processing of fruits of the earth: rye, wheat, chestnuts and corn. At one time, a fourth millstone would have been used to mill hemp, which was indispensable for local textile production.
In addition to the equipment, the building housed the miller’s quarters, spaces for maintaining the gears and cogs and a small donkey stable used to transport grains. All the rooms have been restored and today represent an important testimony to the history of the mill and the context of the village. A series of panels inside the Mulino dul Tacc illustrate its functioning and, through images, show the product supply chain, offering a useful teaching aid for your visit.
