Madeiran Sugar Mill from 17th Century 🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🌴🌴🌴

Early sugar processing technology utilized horizontal stone cylinders (rollers), which were used to crush sugar canes, and thereby extract the juices. Diogo de Tieve constructed the first water-powered mill on Madeira in 1452. Records suggest that by 1494 there were 16 water- powered sugar mills operating on the Madeira Island. Over time metal rollers were adopted in place of stone rollers. Although much debated, the three-roll vertical cylinder design, often found in l7th-century Brazilian and 18th-century West lndian mills, has been attributed to Madeiran invention. This model of the Madeiran sugar mill is presented at the Madeira Story Centre,a museum situated in the heart of Funchal´s Old Town.