Mill bought back before 1885 to Elie Pict, miller and plasterer, by Auguste Semblanet from Vallorcine, it perfectly represents the type of "large mill" which appeared in Europe in the 18th century. This kind of mill is already described in d'Alembert and Diderot's
Universal Encyclopedia by 1750.
The Semblanet Mill differs from other rural or country mills of the region, such as those of Saint-Luc or of Sarreyer, by the extent of it's machinery and it's rational organization.


In 1983-1985, with the support of the National Swiss Fund for Scientific Research, Professor Louis Pellet conducted a survey of the former hydraulic plants in Valais. He was striken by the scale of the Semblanet Mill and by the quality of the building materials, allowing the whole plant to remain in satisfactory condition.

The local farmers used to bring their grain to the miller. Generally they were directly coming to look for the bread or their fodder flour. Reason for this is simple: the ground grain gets quickly rancid. People thus preferred to stock the grain and to regularly get their mill ground. Customers came essentially from the plain since lateral valleys had admittedly more humble mills, however better suited to the local needs.

Considering the possessions and properties of the Semblanet family and the taxes which they had to pay, this mill was a Company of utmost importance. It's operators were a Martigny wealthy family of the upper middle-class.