Driven by the waters of the stream Rio Cavallo, the mill Rella – Hofbach dates back to the late eighteenth century (1797), even though its origins are even more ancient. It is a complex structure, which suffered alteration and structural changes. The building consists of a mill with millstones, and a tool for husking. Beside the transmission gears for the waterpower, the mill features an unusual water distribution system made of pulleys and leather belts. A big, wooden waterwheel on the east side of the mill conveys the hydraulic power towards the inside of the mill through a horizontal board, which connects it to the millstone and the husking tool. Both tools were used for husking barley and oats. Before falling into disuse, the husking tool also served to grind fir bark. The grain mill was composed of a hopper, a mobile- and a fixed millstone (both enclosed into a crate). The water is taken from the stream and channeled to the mill via a 110-meter-long canal, by which a small washtub was built in the past. The canal led to a smaller pipe, which pumped water straight into the boxes on the wheel and, consequently, made it move. The mill Rella remained active until 1950, and miller Dario Rella would live there until 1994. Later on, in 1998, the Municipality of Folgaria acquired the building and renovated it in 2013, thanks to the Program for rural development of the autonomous province of Trento. In 2020, an educational path was planned and could finally be opened in 2021.
