Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The lakes of Valencia, located in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne in Occitanie, date from the 17th and 18th centuries. They are characterized by a unique structure: a three-arched wooden arch portico covered with canal tiles, housing a source. Water, coming from a pipe framed with stone pilasters and surmounted by a brick engulfment, flows to an oval basin surrounded by a covered gallery. This system illustrates the ingenuity of the hydraulic installations of the time, designed to facilitate collective domestic tasks.

The main wash, probably built between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was substantially restored in 1986. Ranked as a Historical Monument by decree of 23 February 1977, it bears witness to the social importance of washing facilities in pre-industrial rural or urban communities. These places, often managed by municipalities, served not only to wash laundry, but also as meeting points and exchanges for the inhabitants, strengthening social ties.

The Valencia washhouse architecture combines local materials such as stone, brick and wood, reflecting the resources available in the region. The stone and brick portico surrounding the source, as well as the central stone basin, underline an aesthetic and functional will. The precise location, rue Saint-Bernard and aisle des Fontaines, confirms their integration into the urban fabric of Valencia, while benefiting from a natural source, a key element of their establishment.

Owned by the commune, these washes are today a preserved heritage, symbolizing both the history of hydraulic techniques and the way of life of past generations. Their state of conservation, deemed satisfactory (note 7/10), and their legal protection make them privileged witnesses of local history, accessible to the public within the framework of communal heritage.

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