1. Die Steinmühle
Die Steinmühle wurde 1303 als Getreidemühle von den Zisterziensermönchen aus dem Kloster Zinn erbaut und von diesen betrieben. Bis 1766 wurde die Mühle als Getreidemühle genutzt, bis der damalige Mühlenmeister eine Genehmigung zur Anlegung einer Schneidemühle (Sägewerk) erhielt.
1845 wurde sie wieder abgerissen und danach als Ölmühle wiederaufgebaut. Ende 19. Jahrhunderts wurde auf Dampfkraft erweitert und die Mühle zur Strohpapierstoff-Fabrik umgebaut. Sie wurde auch weiter als Dampfmühle genutzt. 1918 firmiert die Mühle als „G. Thiele Steinmühle“. Inhaber war Emil Gericke, der Schwiegersohn von G.Thiele. 1934 wurde die Dampfmaschine durch einen Motor ersetzt und die Mühle vergrößert.
USAF radio station on Monte Limbara / Sardinia
The tropospheric station on Monte Limbara was commissioned by the US military academy of the Air Force and should form the backbone of the radio network "486L Mediterranean Communications System (MEDCOM)" between Spain and the Middle East, to which a large number of similar stations belonged in other NATO countries. It is located at an altitude of 1300 m on the highest mountain in northern Sardinia. When the weather is clear, you can see the coast and even Corsica from up here.
The main purpose of the Troposcatter network was to transmit encrypted messages - during the Cold War - at a distance of thousands of kilometers.
The latest news from the large parabolic dishes in the Limbara Mountains came with the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. In 1993 the base was finally abandoned and handed over to the Italian Ministry of Defense by the Americans. The station's tasks were then taken over by satellites. After that, the system was left to its own devices.
The most impressive thing about the accessible area are the huge parabolic antennas that rise up into the sky just before the mountain top.
Entering the various buildings gives the impression of entering a piece of America that has been mysteriously forgotten on a Sardinian mountain. A covered walkway - essential in snow or strong winds - connects the different buildings: the dormitories, the offices, the recreational air (with kitchen, cinema, bar and post office), the workshop, the warehouses and the power station, the impressive heating system and of course the large military green antennas.
In a technical room, a large switch reads MAIN SWITCH. Two possible options: On or Off. The temptation was great. I turned the switch OFF. I wait a few seconds and then turn it back on. Still silence. Nothing happens. The war is really over.
