Traditional mills belong to the cultural memory of people because they are associated to a still recent past and appeal to the countryside roots of people. Traditional mills belong to our cultural heritage and history and their rehabilitation and use is an issue that we must face. The purpose of this paper is to deepen the reasons to protect this heritage and to present some rehabilitation work carried out in this context. The authors have been carrying out rehabilitation works of windmills in Portugal (mainly in Lisbon surroundings), since mid-1980s. These works are particularly delicate because most windmills are close to total ruin and the study of the remains could hardly support a faithful reconstruction. Therefore, a regional survey of traditional windmills was needed to support an accurate study. Complete reconstruction implied also the fabrication of new traditional mechanisms in perfect running condition. This task required a deep knowledge of materials and traditional techniques and was also supported by research based on a systematic field survey. Rehabilitation of traditional windmills is not completed with the reconstruction program only. Maintenance is an expensive issue and must be foreseen in the rehabilitation process. Adopted technical solutions must be adequate to allow low cost and easy maintenance. Moreover, the use of the mill must generate some profit or, at least, justify the use of some public funding to support its exploitation and maintenance. This paper will present the author's experience on windmills rehabilitation taking into account all these aspects, and stresses the technical works related to reconstruction of the building, the mechanisms and connected studies.
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