A passion born on two wheels

Lavoirs de France is the legacy of a passionate man, Jean-Claude ALLONNEAU. An experienced cycle tourist, he traveled the small roads of France, discovering the hidden treasures of our rural heritage during his bike rides. It was during these journeys that his fascination for washhouses took root.

From handlebars to keyboard

Combining his love of cycle tourism with his passion for heritage, Jean-Claude created this site to share his discoveries. Each listed washhouse tells the story of a bike ride, a detour through a side road, an unexpected encounter with these silent witnesses of our history. His objective was twofold: to guide other cycle tourists to these architectural gems and contribute to the preservation of this fragile heritage.

A transmitted legacy

Following the death of Jean-Claude ALLONNEAU on April 30, 2010, his son Michel took up the torch with determination. Perpetuating his father's work, he continues to enrich and bring to life this precious catalog of our architectural heritage, inspired by the spirit of exploration and discovery that animated Jean-Claude.

The birth of the Lavoirs de France association

In October 2011, Michel ALLONNEAU established the Lavoirs de France (LdF) association, a 1901 law association, in order to continue his father's efforts to census and safeguard the washhouses of France. This creation was motivated by the desire to perpetuate his father's work and continue to develop this website as a reference base on the heritage of washhouses in France. The objective is to maintain and enrich this washhouse census initiative, initiated by Jean-Claude ALLONNEAU, in order to contribute to the preservation of this fragile heritage.

Technical evolution

In its early days, the site was hosted at Free at the address france.lavoirs.free.fr. Over the years, it has evolved to become the platform you are consulting today at the address www.lavoirs.org, testifying to its growth and growing importance in the preservation of our cultural heritage.

A collective adventure

Today, Lavoirs de France is much more than a simple website. It is a living community of enthusiasts, amateur historians, cycle tourists and heritage defenders. Each contribution, each shared photo, each reported washhouse enriches this formidable database and participates in the preservation of our common history.

We invite cycle tourists and all heritage lovers to follow in Jean-Claude's footsteps, to explore our beautiful regions and share their discoveries. Together, let us continue this beautiful adventure of preservation and sharing.