LE BATEAU LAVOIR SAINT-JULIEN

The construction of the quays and the need to wash cotton linen more frequently led to the appearance of a specific type of boat industry in all the western cities. In Laval, these wash boats, at first rejected on the periphery, will be at their peak about twenty on both banks. The last wave of construction, to which the Saint-Julien wash boat belongs, was the most sophisticated. The lower part, the hold, built in the Loire yards, housed up to 40 washers and the ovens used to heat the water. Upstairs, 3 tanks were used to wash the linen under the control of the captain. The captain lived in separate apartments with balconies. Disused in 1971, the Saint-Julien kept all its on-board equipment, which allowed it, along with its neighbor the Saint-Yves, to be classified as a historical monument in 1993 and to reopen as a site museum. Completely restored, it offers today a renewed scenography with an interactive terminal proposing data base and virtual restitutions.