In 1847, the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia issued a disciplinary decree to keep the waters of its “public fountains and lavoirs” clean and pure, including Fontanelle (probably Caodilà). The decree ruled that clean buckets were to be used for domestic purposes and that only healthy animals could drink there. The penalties and punishments for washing dirty bodies, immersing dead or living animals, and rinsing kitchen utensils or any other items were very tough. Arsiero’s oldest lavoir was probably the one known as “delle Vignette”, which had its own source, but is now long gone. How were the lavoirs made? Once a source had been found, a hole was dug next to the flowing water. The bottom of the hole was then lined with large stones to make it partly waterproof. Once a basin had been created, stone troughs were placed around it. In 1888, a large covered lavoir, known locally as “el Fontanon”, or “The Big Fountain”, was built in Via Caodilà. This was a massive, elaborate work when compared with the lavoirs protected by the 1847 decree. Since then, “el Fontanon” has been used for washing clothes, but today it mainly sates the thirst of cyclists and hikers. It is also a very welcome stop on “La Magnacorta”, a historic “food and wine crawl” organized by local cultural association Pro Arsiero.
Source: Le fontane di Arsiero, edited by Francesco Faccin, Biblioteca comunale di Arsiero, 2012.
