by Federica Lassi
Scattered here and there around Perledo and its hamlets, they tell a silent but powerful story, like water. A story of women, of toil, of solidarity, of a society that knew the sense of community and rediscovered it by dipping their hands in the cold water, engaging in conversations that broke the silence of the days. These scenes of daily life are set against the backdrop of the Perledo wash-houses, today no longer invaded by the agitated hubbub and noise of rubbed clothes, but still capable of conveying the importance that, despite their simplicity, at a time when the
not too far away, they assumed. Damp corners in which the female figure dominated, taking charge
household chores, including washing clothes. Observing the structures of the wash houses in Perledo, Pozzallo, Bologna, Cestaglia, Gittana, Regoledo, Gisazio, Pegnino, Regolo, Tondello and Vezio it is possible to perceive
still the fatigue of a heavy and repetitive job that in that historical context was only noticed by the wash-house workers, discreet observers capable of preserving the laughter, the advice exchanged and the bonds that were built day after day, between a stroke of the brush and a wringing of cloths. An all-female microcosm. Although they all serve the same purpose, that of washing clothes, each of the Perledo wash-houses expresses a unique peculiarity, even if only in the way they are structured: the Gisazio wash-house, for example, has a single basin for washing and rinsing laundry, while a second open basin was used as a fountain, for domestic use and for watering animals. On the other hand, the Bologna wash-house has a basin with concrete partitions, used as “workstations” for housewives. There is also the Regoledo wash-house, consisting of a stone and cement basin of limited dimensions to meet the needs of the few families living in the small hamlet. To follow
all the others, to be discovered one step at a time, fraction by fraction.
There are, however, two connotations they all have in common. On the one hand, wash-houses can be seen as contexts in which women were necessarily relegated, given the rigid roles in force at the time. On the other hand, it was here that human relations were created and kept alive, real places of sociability where there was no lack of dialogue and mutual support, aspects that are often absent or left in the background nowadays due to the hectic lives we all lead, and which these monuments remind us of the importance of. With the arrival of running water in homes and, later, of washing machines, wash-houses lost their original function and with it the precious moments of human connection that they helped to bring about. Technological progress, while improving the quality of life, marked the end of these collective spaces. However, Perledo has not forgotten them: in fact, the municipality has decided to enhance these structures, to all intents and purposes an integral part of the town's historical and cultural heritage, by implementing conservation measures and also creating a tourist and excursion itinerary that allows visitors to discover the wash houses and, with them, Perledo and its hamlets, admiring the landscapes of Lake Como. A redevelopment project launched in 2022 that demonstrates how wash-houses have not outlived their usefulness, but can become places of memory, capable of teaching the ways of life of the past. The immateriality, made up of practices and stories that have now disappeared, transmitted through materiality to create a wealth available to the entire Perledese community. And so the water continues to flow in the stone basins, carrying with it the memory of hands that worked and hearts that shared: the wash houses continue to speak.
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