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3. The Mills and Rye Farming in Porto

For centuries, rye was the most important crop in Porto and the foundation of local food production. Well adapted to the cold climate, high altitude and poor mountain soils, it covered much of the cultivated land around the village.

Growing rye involved some of the most important communal tasks of the year. During summer, villagers gathered for the harvest. This was followed by threshing, when grain was separated from straw using traditional tools and techniques.

The straw was stored in traditional palleiros, distinctive rye straw stacks that formed part of Porto’s rural landscape and provided valuable resources for mountain life.

The entire system depended on watermills. Using the power of mountain streams, they transformed rye into flour for the bread that sustained generations of villagers. Porto once had 22 mills.