Statue of the Washerwoman (Statua della Lavandaia), Pavia

beyond the bridge extends the Borgo Ticino, the former quarter of the fishermen and washerwomen, as illustrated by the statue of the pale star on the shore.

The Statua della Lavandaia in Pavia is one of the symbols of the city. This beautiful sculpture, created by local artist Giovanni Scapolla in 1981, recalls the time when the banks of the Ticino River were populated by women who washed clothes in the river.
Giovanni Scapolla was inspired by his mother, a famous washerwoman named 'Sciura Teresina', who always wore a traditional 'caplina' on her head.
Names of the washerwomen: The washerwomen often had nicknames related to physical characteristics. The most famous was 'Angiuleta', but there were others such as 'Marieta dai pe tort' (with crooked feet) and 'Gianina la culona' (the plump one).
Method: The women worked all day on the riverbank. The clothes were soaked overnight in large concrete containers and then washed by the river using a wooden board (‘a scägn’). Men and children collected the washed clothes and delivered them throughout the city. It was hard and unprofitable work, with only one or two lira each.
Singing and entertainment: To pass the time, the washerwomen often sang. One of their favorite songs was “La donna è mobile” from Verdi's opera Rigoletto. They even adapted the text: 'La dona l'è UN MOBIL da met in sala, l'om l'è un asin da met in stala', referring to the fact that men walked around all day while the women stood still to to wash.

Made in 1981 by the bourgeois sculptor Giovanni Scapolla, the statue recalls the times when the banks of the Ticino were filled with women washing clothes in the river.