Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Lavoir de Saint-Victor-la-Coste is an emblematic 19th-century building located in the municipality of the same name in the Gard department. Built between 1860 and 1880, it is distinguished by its symmetrical architecture, with two bodies of identical buildings arranged around a central courtyard. Each building, rectangular in shape, is opened by a rectangular pillar portal and has a pilaster-like facade and a triangular pediment. Inside, a gallery allows you to travel around the basin on three sides, while a central fountain, decorated with lion muffles and garlands, serves as a focal point for the whole.

Washrooms, such as that of Saint-Victor-la-Coste, were essential places of daily life in the 19th century, serving both as a meeting point and as a space dedicated to laundry. Their architecture often reflects the hygienist concerns of the time, while integrating local aesthetic elements. The central fountain, surmounted by a statue of Saint Victor, also highlights the link between these infrastructures and the religious or symbolic life of rural communities.

The washhouse was listed as a historic monument in 1980, recognizing its heritage value. The protected elements include the two washhouse buildings and the fountain, classified by order of 23 October 1980. Today, this monument remains an architectural and social testimony of the collective practices of the past, while being a point of local interest for visitors.

The structure is covered with a two-sided roof, supported by intermediate arches, and its precise location is identified as 6 Rue des Vieux Lavoirs. The accuracy of its location is estimated as 'a priori satisfactory', and it belongs to the municipality of Saint-Victor-la-Coste. This wash perfectly illustrates the importance of public infrastructure in the organization of Occitan villages in the 19th century.

External links