Milan from below: the public baths at Albergo Diurno
September 4, 2019
The
public baths of Milan also known as “Albergo Diurno Metropolitano Venezia“,
were inaugurated in January 1926 after two years of construction. They were
intended to provide various services for the Milanese and for travelers:
especially public baths and body care services, but also a travel agency, laundry
services and others.
Built in a basement in the Porta Venezia district the Albergo Diurno is now considered a magnificent example of the so-called Art Decò style, an architectural trend which was extremely popular up to the end of twenties in Milan.
The Albergo Diurno still occupies more or
less 1200 square meters and it was split in two separate areas: the baths and
spa on one side and the shops on the other.
The main
lobby of the spa area features a statue of the Greek goddess Hygieia, by the
Venetian sculptor Luigi Fabris, which welcomes the visitors and clients of the
six bathtubs and showers available in the thermal baths.
A barber shop, a coiffeur and a nail saloon were also available in the shop section of the Albergo Diurno and were open to the public from 7 am to 11 pm. This part of the facility is subject to the passage of time and many of the original wooden furnishings have been sold by the last shop owners. However, it is still possible to see the decorations and mosaics that adorn the walls next to the washbasins, the mirrors and the armchairs once occupied by the patrons of this underground barber.
A walk
through the corridors of the Albergo Diurno is literally the chance to enjoy the
Milanese lifestyle as it used to be during the Belle Epoque in the capital of fashion and design.
Unfortunately it is not open to the public and if you wish to visit it you may want to monitor the FAI website. FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) is an Italian non-profit organization which aims at protecting the Italian cultural and environmental heritage. In 2015 has been appointed by the Milan municipality to manage and safeguard the “Albergo Diurno Metropolitano Venezia”and once a year the FAI delegates organize guided tours of the facility.
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