For winds' own work: three centuries of Spain's mills

The windmills of Campo de Criptana, located in Campo de Criptana, Spain, are 3 centuries old, built by people who sought alternative power where water once flowed. A drought in the 16th century brought about a new hunger for energy. The construction of windmills might have mirrored the end of a Crusade or the arrival of the Order of Malta (according to some sources). In 1575, the Relations Topographic of Felipe II mentioned 'many' windmills in Campo de Criptana.

Thirty-four windmills were recorded in the 1752 study of the Marqués de la Ensenada. In the 1840s, the arrival of foreign grains led to the decline in milling. The Molino Burleta, also known as Burlapobres, is 350 steps from the urban core. Seven other windmills invite visitors to La Sierra: The Poyatos, Inca Garcilaso, Cariari, Pilón, Lagarto, Culebro, and Quimera. The windmills stand at 750 meters above sea level on Windmill Hill, a tourist attraction that holds a museum dedicated to the windmills' history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons