Moinho do Papel is a water mill on the left bank of the Lis river in Leiria, where King João I authorised paper making in 1411, the first known paper mill in Portugal. The architect Álvaro Siza restored the mill, which has operated as a museum of paper and milling since 2009.
The mill still grinds cereal with the force of the river, and visitors can watch paper made by hand.
What to see at Moinho do Papel
- Water wheels: large wheels driven by the Lis, which power the grinding stones and the paper machinery.
- Paper making: a demonstration of paper made from rags by hand, the method used in the Middle Ages.
- Cereal milling: four millstones that grind maize, wheat and rye, whose flour can be bought on site.
- Exhibition: a timeline of the history of paper, a printing press and a typesetting case.
History of Moinho do Papel
- 13th century: studies suggest that a cereal mill already stood on the site.
- 1411: King João I grants Gonçalo Lourenço de Gomide, a royal scribe, permission to make paper at old mill sites near the Caniços bridge in Leiria.
- 1496: the Almanach Perpetuum of the astronomer Abraão Zacuto is printed in Leiria.
- 16th century: the mill becomes a property of the Convent of Santo Agostinho.
- Second half of the 19th century: António Caseiro acquires the mill, which stays in his family and returns to grinding cereal.
- 1999: the Leiria Municipality buys the mill.
- 2009: the mill opens as a museum after its restoration by Álvaro Siza.
Visiting Moinho do Papel
- Location: the mill stands on the left bank of the Lis, east of the Church of Santo Agostinho and next to the Caniços bridge, on the riverside path of the city.
- Opening times: the Leiria Municipality publishes current opening times and workshop programmes.
Places to visit in Leiria
