Il Lavatoio Città Alta - Bergamo, Italy
N 45° 42.211 E 009° 39.837
32T E 551685 N 5061321
In a quiet square behind the Torre Gombito in Bergamo’s Città Alta (upper town) you will see a long marble trough that provides an interesting glimpse into 19th century life.
Waymark Code: WMHEXA
Location: Lombardia, Italy
Date Posted: 07/02/2013
Views: 11
Piazza Luigi Angelini, which is off Via Mario Lupo on the left, used to be the site of il Lavatoio, Bergamo’s public wash tub.
Now that it has been cleaned and restored, you can see details such as the drain to prevent the water overflowing and the small channel that collected splashes from the washing.
Il Lavatoio was well built from Zandobbio marble and protected with a cast iron canopy. It was constructed on the orders of the Commune di Bergamo to provide inhabitants of the Città Alta with laundering facilities, to compensate them for the lack of running water in their houses.
The tub came into use in 1891, when the square must have become a lively hub where the women of the Città Alta enjoyed meeting up and exchanging gossip while they did their washing.
Il Lavatoio continued to be used well into the 1950s.
Now that everyone does their washing indoors, Piazza Luigi Angelini has become a very peaceful place, coming to life only on the occasional Sunday when an antiques market is held there.
Visit Instructions:
[EN] Post a picture of you at or near the posted coordinates. If you are alone, hold your GPSr up in front of the camera or try taking a picture of you from arm's length. Also, include a brief story of your visit. [FR] Telechargez une photo de vous a ou aux alentours des coordonnees donnees. Si vous etres seul, tenez votre appareil GPSr devant l'appareil photo ou essayer de prendre une photo de vous en tenant l'appareil photo au bout de bras. Ajouter aussi une description courte de votre visite.