Moulin Taron

Moulin Taron is a working watermill at the heart of Chaussin, a small village in the Jura department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. It is the last mill in the country still producing the traditional roasted corn flour known as "gaudes," and the building has been a listed historic monument since 1997.

Where exactly does the mill stand, and what powers it?

Moulin Taron sits on rue du Moulin, right in the centre of Chaussin. It doesn't draw water directly from the Orain river but from a hand-dug diversion channel roughly 7 kilometres long, built specifically to feed the mill wheel. Redirecting water this way across flat farmland was a common solution for mills in the Bresse Jurassienne area, where rivers alone couldn't guarantee steady flow.

How far back does the mill's history go?

Records place a grain mill on this site as early as the 13th century. By 1788, the property held two buildings: a brick house with a tile roof and the mill itself with an adjoining stable. A fire later destroyed part of the complex, and the Marquise de Valdahon financed its rebuilding in 1843 — a date still carved into the façade today. Ownership shifted afterward: the Darnaud family took over in 1874, and around 1902 the mill doubled as the village's electricity plant. A sawmill was added on the eastern side not long after and was rebuilt following its own fire.

How did the Taron family come to run it?

In 1920, timber sawyer Emile Robert bought the property and expanded the sawmill, later adding a diesel engine around 1923. The mill passed to Georges Colin in 1931, then in 1937 to Louis Taron — the point at which it took the name it still carries. It has stayed in Taron hands across five generations since. The electricity business was sold to the Forces motrices de la Loue company around 1942, the sawmill shut down in 1948, and wheat milling ended in 1962. Corn-flour production, however, never stopped.

What does Moulin Taron actually produce today?

The mill's specialty is gaudes, a roasted corn flour central to the traditional cuisine of the Bresse Jurassienne region. Corn is roasted over a wood fire, then ground between stone millstones, giving the flour its distinctive, lightly smoky character. Chefs use it in regional dishes, and Moulin Taron remains the only producer still making it this way.

What does the historic building itself look like?

The western section, the original flour mill, has a basement, a ground floor topped by a small clock tower resting on cast-iron columns, a full storey dedicated to grinding (millstones and roller equipment), and an attic used for sifting. The roof has hipped ends and is covered in flat tiles. Since 30 July 1997, the mill, its mechanical equipment, the barn and stable outbuildings, and the water channel have all been listed as a protected historic monument.

Can visitors tour the mill?

The mill's shop is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to noon and 2pm to 5pm; it's closed on weekends. Guided visits run by prior appointment and cost €3 per person. The address is 2 rue du Moulin, 39120 Chaussin.

Frequently asked questions

What is gaudes, and why is Moulin Taron known for it? Gaudes is a traditional roasted corn flour from the Bresse Jurassienne region, used for generations in local cooking. Moulin Taron is the last mill still making it the artisanal way, roasting the corn over wood fire and grinding it with stone millstones.

Since when has the Taron family run the mill? The Taron family has operated the mill since 1937, when Louis Taron bought it. It is now run by the fifth generation of the family.

Is the mill a protected historic building? Yes. Since 30 July 1997, Moulin Taron — including its machinery, outbuildings, and water channel — has been listed as a historic monument in France.

Can you visit the mill? Yes, by prior appointment; guided tours cost €3 per person. The shop is open Monday to Friday, 8am–noon and 2pm–5pm.

Why doesn't the mill sit directly on the Orain river? It's fed by a hand-dug diversion channel about 7 kilometres long, which carries water from the Orain river into the centre of Chaussin to power the mill wheel.