In Albese con Cassano, in a building of 1822 that was a covered washhouse with the primary school on the upper floor, the Museo etnografico e dell’acqua “Lavandee” (Ethnographic and Water Museum) tells the story of the relationship between rural communities and water.
The idea for the museum grew out of what can still be seen in Albese: two old ice houses, old wells, fountains and washhouses. The building, left unused for decades, has housed the museum since 2004.
The sections
The museum is organised in four thematic sections, recognisable by the colour of their arches: the blue one, “The journey of water”; the yellow one, “Water use in the home”; the green one, “Water use in the countryside”; and the red one, devoted to the fire engine, a nineteenth-century fire pump. The objects and tools on display document the techniques of washing laundry by hand and the collection, transport and use of water in houses and farms. Routes also start from the museum to discover fountains, washhouses, wells and other water-related architecture in the area.
Practical information
- Where: in the centre of Albese con Cassano. The sources consulted give different addresses (Via Roma, at the Centro Civico Fabio Casartelli; Via Pulici), so it is worth confirming the location when you book.
- Visits take place every day and only by reservation.
- Contact: info@museoetnograficoedellacqua.it, museoetnograficoedellacqua.it.