ComuneDiCavriana

Torcolo fountain

Tucked away amongst the green hills of Cavriana, the Fontana del Torcolo is much more than just an ancient washhouse: it is a veritable living monument, capable of recounting the history of the area from Roman times right up to the present day. Fed by a natural, year-round spring, this fountain has for centuries been a vital source of water for the local population, travellers and even the great armies of history.

From its Roman origins to the court of the Gonzagas

From its Roman origins to the court of the Gonzagas
The use of this spring dates back to time immemorial. The discovery of Roman-era wall remains in the immediate vicinity shows that, as far back as two thousand years ago, the area was frequented and valued for the purity of its waters.

During the Renaissance, the fountain was such an important geographical and defensive landmark that it was specifically mentioned by Marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga. In no fewer than three official letters (dated 8, 17 and 20 May 1461), written during the castle’s renovation works, the Lord of Mantua refers to ‘the wall of the revellin and San Biagio towards the fountain’, confirming the strategic link between the upper fortress and the spring below.

The name ‘Torcolo’ itself seems to derive precisely from this glorious era: in the vicinity of the spring stood an ancient residence equipped with a press (torcol in the local dialect) for pressing olives and grapes, which had already been recorded in the Gonzaga registers.

A witness to major changes

A witness to major changes
Over the centuries, the fountain has witnessed major historical events and has had to adapt to changes in the road network:
  • 1830: As shown on the old land registry map of the time, the fountain was moved back by approximately 1.50 metres to the east to widen the municipal road and allow farm carts to pass through easily.
  • 23 June 1859: On the eve of the historic Battle of Solferino and San Martino, the valley around the fountain was transformed into a vast military encampment. An entire Austrian army corps — comprising some 30,000 soldiers and thousands of horses — halted here to drink and rest before the bloody clash that would determine the fate of Italian unification.
  • 1934: At the height of the Fascist era (as indicated by the date engraved on the wall: ‘Year XII E.F.’), the spring was channelled and covered for essential health and hygiene reasons. Two pipes were installed: one to fill the basins and the other for drawing drinking water using flasks.

The washhouse: the hard work and social life of the washerwomen

Until the 1970s, before washing machines became commonplace in homes, the Fontana del Torcolo was the beating heart of women’s social life in Cavriana.

The structure consists of two marble basins:
  • The large basin: Used for the everyday washing and rinsing of household laundry.
  • The small basin: Added during the 1934 renovation works, reserved for hygienic reasons for washing the dirtiest clothes or the laundry of sick people.

As a testament to the daily toil and the constant comings and goings of the washerwomen, a detail of incredible anthropological value remains on the lower edge of the basin: a veritable unintentional sculpture carved into the marble, created by the constant rubbing and wear caused by the wooden clogs of the women who, for generations, have bent over here to wash their clothes.

A common good cherished by the citizens

Today, the Fontana del Torcolo is owned by the local council, but its beauty and cleanliness are down to the love and selfless dedication of volunteers from the neighbourhood and the street. It is they who, through routine maintenance and constant care, keep this precious corner of history alive.