The Wash House in Antibes

The wash house in rue du Lavoir
Every old Provencal district has its own wash house, and some are still in operation. You may have seen them on your visits around the Provencal towns.

There were originally three wash houses in Antibes, of which only this one located in rue du Lavoir has survived. Here, the women met to wash their clothes and chat with the town’s other women.

The wash houses were most often located a little deserted on the outskirts of the city, and today many are fully preserved as a cultural memory of the hygiene challenges of the time.

The wash houses have their own history, which dates back to the 19th century and testifies to the challenges of the time with pandemics, which alone in Europe killed more than 5 million people in the 19th century. Read about the history of the wash houses here.

By Tommy Sverre / 2020