The Water-wheels of Larmahue

Architecture of wheels in rainfed land, in the rural heart of Chile

Abstract

Put to test since the water-wheels of time, human ingenuity has created real works of art in response to adverse conditions. Proof of this can be seen in the dams or water-wheels, born from a necessity to obtain efficient irrigation in fields set aside for cultivation. The Babylonians knew of their benefits. Other cultures enriched their design and perfected their functioning. And, nowadays, in the heart of the Chilean Central Valley you can admire the water-wheels of Larmahue. a sort of extension of the vernacular architecture of the place.
However, these water-wheels have been affected by neglect, progress and the natural catastrophe that not only, have affected the material heritage that sustains them but also their intangible heritage which is of. Therefore, for his persistence associated authorities and their owners see tourism an alternative for its conservation.