A pair of medieval water mills sits on the Lemene directly opposite the cathedral, their wheels still turning in the current. They date originally to the eleventh or twelfth century, with the current buildings largely rebuilt in the fifteenth, and they functioned commercially well into the twentieth century — grinding grain brought down by barge from the Friulan hills.
The mills are now restored as a small museum (open mornings, free) showing the original milling machinery, and they form the picturesque centrepiece of the riverside view. A flock of swans is in permanent residence on the river here, which adds to the postcard quality. The footbridge between the cathedral piazza and the mill island is the best photographic vantage in town.