Moulin de la Herpinière: A Troglodyte Windmill in Turquant

The Moulin de la Herpinière is a 16th-century windmill perched on a hilltop above the vineyards of Turquant, a small village in the Maine-et-Loire department a few kilometres from Saumur. The site sits within the UNESCO-listed Loire Valley and ranks among the most distinctive examples of windmill architecture in the Anjou region.

What kind of windmill is it, and where is it located?

The Herpinière mill belongs to a type known as "moulin cavier," a design specific to Anjou in which the rotating upper structure sits atop a masonry cone, its lower portion partly carved into the rock, making it semi-troglodyte. This construction connected the working part of the mill to rooms hollowed out of the soft local limestone, or tuffeau. The mill occupies a rise surrounded by vineyards, a deliberate choice: greater elevation meant better exposure to the wind needed to turn the sails.

What is the history behind the mill?

The windmill dates back to the mid-16th century. Like many similar structures across Anjou, it served the local community for grinding grain for generations, but as mechanized milling took over, it fell out of use and was gradually abandoned, overtaken by brambles and scrub.

Its fortunes changed in 1972, when Guy Petitfils, a designer at the Daum crystal works in Nancy who had dreamed of owning a windmill since childhood, purchased the ruin. Petitfils cleared the site and carried out a full restoration, completed in 1978. This made the Moulin de la Herpinière the first windmill to be restored anywhere in Anjou. For this achievement, Petitfils and his wife received the "Chef-d'œuvre en péril" ("Masterpiece in Peril") award in 1980, a distinction given to heritage sites rescued from ruin. Since 7 May 1982, the mill has been listed as a monument historique, placing it under formal state protection.

What makes this windmill distinctive?

The Herpinière mill is the only windmill in Anjou to retain canvas sails rather than the wooden slatted shutters found on most restored mills in the region, and it still houses a single pair of millstones in its grinding chamber. That chamber opens directly onto a troglodyte courtyard, which in turn gives access to a set of rooms carved into the tuffeau rock — once used as living and storage spaces, in keeping with the troglodyte building tradition found throughout the Loire Valley.

Can visitors go inside the mill?

The mill remains privately owned and is not a regularly ticketed attraction with set visiting hours. It can, however, be freely admired from the outside: the sail structure and stone cone rising above the vineyards are visible from the road running through Turquant, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone touring the countryside around Saumur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Moulin de la Herpinière? In Turquant, in the Maine-et-Loire department, a few kilometres from Saumur, within the UNESCO-protected Loire Valley.

What does "moulin cavier" mean? It refers to a windmill type specific to Anjou, where the rotating mill structure sits on a masonry cone whose lower section is partly carved into the rock, giving it a semi-troglodyte character.

When was the windmill built? In the mid-16th century.

Who restored the Moulin de la Herpinière? Guy Petitfils, a designer at the Daum crystal works in Nancy, bought the ruined mill in 1972 and completed its full restoration by 1978.

Is the mill a protected heritage site? Yes, it has been listed as a monument historique since 7 May 1982.

Can you go inside? No — the mill is privately owned and not open for regular visits, though it can be viewed from the outside.