Moinho do Frade (Friar’s Mill)

Windmills appear as utilitarian rural architecture, at a time when agriculture played an important role in the livelihood of the island's people.
The recently restored Moinho do Frade is a revolving windmill set on a circular base that levels it and raises it above the ground. The base is made of stone masonry, and the body, roof, and vanes are wood. It is surrounded by corrals and vineyards (some centuries old), shelters, and cellars in the most significant area in the heroic history of vine planting on the island of Pico.
It is a landmark in the landscape, and its red color stands out against the black basalt. Today, it is an excellent viewpoint in Lajido da Criação Velha, offering a panoramic view of the lacy corrals of the vineyard landscape, the Pico mountain, and the channel between Pico and Faial.