1,700-year-old ‘dry cleaners’ shop — with tanks for laundry — found in Rome. See it
Rome, Italy, is teeming with ancient Roman ruins as grand as the Colosseum and as unique as the Pantheon. But the city also has some remarkably relatable ruins — like a 1,700-year-old “dry cleaners” shop uncovered recently.
Archaeologists found the ancient laundry facility during construction work at Piazza Pia, a section of roadway between Vatican City and Castel Sant’Angelo, the Municipality of Rome said in a June 14 news release.
The Roman building was originally built as an imperial residence and overlooked the nearby Tiber River, the city said. Between the second and third century, the site was converted into an open-air fullonica.
In ancient Rome, a fullonica, sometimes referred to as a fullery, was a shop where launderers were paid to do people’s washing, according to the World History Encyclopedia. Dry cleaners are the closest modern-day equivalent of these shops.
Excavations at Piazza Pia found rows of underground pots used to soak dirty clothes and several tanks used for washing and rinsing the laundry, the city said.
Because soap was not yet invented, ancient Romans used human and animal urine as laundry detergent, according to Pompeii Archaeological Park. Urine was often collected in pots placed along the city streets.
Urine contains ammonia, a base substance, which cleans dirt and grease stains by counteracting their slightly acidic nature, the Smithsonian Magazine reported.
Ancient Romans would bring their clothes to the fullonica and pay for laundry services, according to the World Encyclopedia. Laundry workers would wash the clothes in vats filled with water and urine then rinse the clothes by hand and beat them with a stick to remove any lingering dirt. Once dirt and stains were gone, the clothes were dried on racks and either delivered to or picked up by their owner.
Italy’s Ministry of Culture shared photos of the 1,700-year-old ruins at Piazza Pia in a June 14 news release.
The finds will be relocated to the nearby Castel Sant’Angelo, where they will be reassembled and put on display, the city said.
Construction at the plaza is scheduled to end in December. The project will install an underpass and create a large pedestrian square to connect nearby tourist sites.
Google Translate was used to translate the news releases from Italy’s Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Rome.
This story was originally published June 14, 2024 at 8:49 AM with the headline "1,700-year-old ‘dry cleaners’ shop — with tanks for laundry — found in Rome. See it."
