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All Italy Cefalù Lavatoio Medievale

Lavatoio Medievale

A medieval wash house where people washed clothes in a river allegedly formed by the tears of a mourning nymph.

Cefalù, Italy

Added By
Gary Cascio
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Lavatoio Medievale.   Pava/Public domain
Lavatoio Medievale.   Pava/Public domain
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque at the entrance.   garycascio / Atlas Obscura User
Cefalù - ancien lavoir   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Looking back up the staircase at the entrance from the wash house.   garycascio / Atlas Obscura User
The outlet to the ocean.   garycascio / Atlas Obscura User
Lavatoio Medievale.   garycascio / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This old wash-house in Sicily dates back to medieval times and was used by the inhabitants of the city for centuries. The structure was built over the River Cefalino, which stems from a source located southwest of Cefalù near the village of Gratteri in the Madonie mountains.

The original structure of the Lavatoio Medievale was initially much closer to the ocean, but it was demolished in 1514. The wash house was rebuilt on the river, which is said to have originated from the tears of a nymph who accidentally caused the death of her lover.

A stone staircase leads to the washing area. Water from the river still flows into the place’s numerous rectangular stone tanks and pools before it leaves via covered tunnels that flow into the sea.

The Lavatoio Medievale was used by locals well into the 20th century, and in the summer of 1991 the entire area was restored. At the top of the stairs, a stone plaque dated to 1655 reads, “Here flows Cefalino, healthier than any other river, purer than silver, colder than snow."

Cefalù, on the northern coast of Sicily, was settled by the Sikels, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs before the Normans arrived in the 11th century. The seaport town on the Tyrrhenian Sea is one of the major tourist attractions in the region.

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Rivers Houses Medieval Homes
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Added By

garycascio

Edited By

philoursmars, Michael Inscoe, Collector of Experiences, debsbranton

  • philoursmars
  • Michael Inscoe
  • Collector of Experiences
  • debsbranton

Published

December 8, 2017

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Lavatoio Medievale
57 Via Vittorio Emanuele
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 90015, Cefalù, PA, Italy
Cefalù
Italy
38.039342, 14.020093
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cefalù

Cefalù

Italy

Places 2

Nearby Places

Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cefalù

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Italy

Places 2

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