Take part in our soap making courses in Abruzzo and discover all the secrets of an ancient tradition!

A stay at Sextantio is a truly special experience that is out of the ordinary… even out of time, to be honest, because you can experience directly and thoroughly the domestic life of yesteryear…

It was a simple, authentic life, with no frills and it had little to do with the life we are accustomed to, which is no doubt full of comforts, but also busy and stressful.
The world was completely different. Modern technologies and the current pastimes didn’t exist, so families spent more time together; meals were frugal, simple and healthy and many of the products that today are easy to find on supermarket shelves were homemade.
Soap was one of them.

It’s something which we can’t do without, but… who invented it?
In reality, it was “discovered” by chance.
In order to produce soap, it is necessary that a caustic substance (i.e. a corrosive substance) comes into contact with fat substances either animal or vegetal.

This situation was frequent in fireplaces, especially after cooking the meat: a mere rainfall was enough to dissolve the sodium and potassium oxides contained in the ashes and make them come into contact with the animal fats.

By examining this unknown substance that remained in the fireplace, men realised that it could clean off the dirt and found a recipe to produce it by themselves. Only one ingredient was changed: the ash was substituted with caustic soda.

Nowadays, the custom of using handmade soap and even of making soap at home is spreading more and more, especially among people who suffer from allergies or are careful when it comes to choosing a mild soap with no harmful chemicals.

Well… since we have decided to pay meticulous attention to every detail, so that you can go back in time and experience the ancient lifestyle, you will find handmade soap in your room!
And that’s not all! You will have also the possibility to take part in a “Soap making class”: our trusted artisan perfumer will spend two hours with participants, will show them the ingredients to prepare the mixture for the saponification and will reveal tricks and tips about this ancient art of the local tradition.
At the end of the class, the dried soap will be divided into small bars. Each participant will be given a bar to take home for the aging phase.

So, enjoy an authentic experience, dive into the tradition and experience the lifestyle of yesteryear with our soap making courses in Abruzzo!
What are you waiting for? Book now!