Il Lavatoio B&B- The Wash House, Abruzzo
Dimora storica - A Historic House
The "wash house" was born from an idea of the Municipality of Castel di Sangro (L’Aquila) to recover the old municipal washhouse where women went to wash their clothes. The project encompassed the architectural recovery of the site with the approval of the Superintendence of Architectural and Cultural Heritage of the province of L'Aquila. The restoration has been successfully accomplished, and the washhouse now shines once again in all its magnificence.
The "wash house" is located in Castel di Sangro just 9 kilometres from the tourist centre Roccaraso - Rivisondoli - Aremogna, in the Alto Sangro valley with a view of the mountains surrounding the town. The property has 10 rooms on two floors and three rooms on two separate floors, accessible by two spiral staircases.
The B&B is located in the town's historic centre and has a large garden with various relaxation corners. Furthermore, there is a small private car park, a wi-fi area, TV in all rooms, a large hall with a fireplace and an exhibition area created from the old municipal wash house, completely made of stone, available to customers.
The rooms of the "Lavatoio" are welcoming and furnished with care and attention to detail. The windows of all the rooms open onto the garden or the mountains that frame the Alto Sangro valley.
There are three different room types:
double bedroom
large double bedroom
quadruple room with double bed and two single beds.
A breath of the past combined with the beauty of the present
Early on in history, the contadina (countrywoman) would wash clothes in the nearby river, on her knees, regardless of season or weather. They would bring a wooden washboard to the river, some of these were very wide, offering a communal laundering experience. Some households had their own wooden troughs with a washboard built-in, but water would still have to be hauled from the river or local fountain in order to use it. It wasn't until 1897 that the first public lavatoio (washhouse) was built in towns and villages around Italy. Some had roofs with open sides--similar to market structures--to keep the women out of the sun and rain. Many were built near existing streams and were designed to direct the fresh running water through a trough. Still, others had plumbing and elevated wash tanks, allowing women to stand while they washed clothes. What a luxury this simple change must have been!
address
Via Paradiso, 18 - Castel di Sangro (AQ)
email & Fax
info@lavatoio.com +39.0864.847009