Not far from the monastery that had inspired one of the most famous Neapolitan songs, wet cleaning machines are working at a full speed at this well-established artisan laundry run by Andrea Gaeta and Anna Persico, husband and wife. The shop is a point of reference not only for many loyal customers but also for theatres, universities and bed & breakfast structures based in the old town
A laundry in the heart of Naples. “Santa Chiara” is based in San Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli Street, under 36 and 37. Who knows the city, knows that we are talking about the very center of the old town of Naples: just a few steps away from The Basilica of San Giovanni Maggiore and the monument of Santa Chiara with its monastery, famous for having inspired one of the most famous Neapolitan songs.
The central position of “Santa Chiara” is also the reason why the laundry works not only with the usual customers, such as families, but it also services Neapolitan theaters, treating theatre costumes, bed and breakfast structures that rely on the laundry with linen treatment, food catering services with their table linen and universities that make requests for the treatment of room upholstery. The position of the shop is no accident, as it may seem. It is a necessity that follows the “genius loci”, the guardian spirit of a place, a reference to all the bakeries, pizzerias and artisan shops in this world’s unique city. The owner, Andrea Gaeta, 48 years old, explains that this kind of shop can only offer scented and clean linen and garments, which is a clear reference to his professional evolution and to the fact that, for some time now, the laundry has been using hydrocarbon machines and wet cleaning washers, all the machines being highly eco-sustainable. Having become a “Problem Solver” even more than before, the shop is able to solve any issue linked to textile treatment in the sign of the long artisan tradition and sensibility.
“Ever since I opened the laundry, precisely on 15 May, 2000 – says Gaeta – I have faced the characteristics of working in a historical part of the city. Today, the old town has become more pedestrian-friendly, more and more protected, and the controlled traffic zone has been extended over years”. “However, a shop like ours does not actually need to be reached by cars – continues Andrea Gaeta – because flexibility and versatility make part of the shop’s DNA. When necessary, I deliver and pick up garments myself, driving my Panda Van through the narrow, antique streets of the old town of Naples”.
We can easily understand how the word “heart” really relates to the cultural center of this place and not only to the topography of Naples. Because it is difficult to imagine a more “Neapolitan” commercial activity than the Santa Chiara laundry, where prices are established by a single factor: “service quality”, a result of talent and hard work combined with the use of excellent laundry machines. It is a family question for Andrea Gaeta as he is telling us about his professional career that starts from the early years of his youth. “I was seven years old – he says – when, in summer, I started working at a laundry run by my sister Rosaria’s boyfriend, who later became her husband. Today, he owns a prestigious textile care business based in the outskirts of Naples”.
“From that moment on, I slowly learned everything about the job – Gaeta continues – and, once I became an adult, I felt I could do it on my own. So, with the help of my brother Gennaro, who initially managed all the administrative issues, I founded the Santa Chiara laundry, a typical family business that me and my wife Anna Persico are currently running together. Sometimes, when we take our seven-year-old son Vincenzo to the shop during the closing times due to Covid, I can almost see myself back then, when I was at the beginning of this long adventure”.
“Basically, I deal with the washing and Anna manages the ironing, even if we both know every single aspect of this job” clarifies Andrea Gaeta who illustrates the machines in the shop: three washing machines, one dryer, two ironing lines. The technology is characterized by the turning point in relation to the hydrocarbon cleaning. “It was necessary – comments Andrea Gaeta – to be able to welcome customers in a laundry with a scent of clean linen that replaced the strong chemical, dominating smell of before”. “Our laundry– he adds – is a proof that the excellence of a service can be reached using more sustainable products that are not inferior in any way, and guarantee high-quality garments cleaning. You only need to be a little more careful in identifying particular stains, e.g. ballpoint pen or lipstick stains, and quickly use a stain remover on them before placing the garments inside a washing machine. Then, we will certainly obtain splendid results, as hundreds of our customers can confirm”.
Among the latter, there also are two theatres, the Bellini and the Mercadante. Both used the services of “Santa Chiara” regularly before the pandemic started and the plays got suspended. The same scenario concerns a bed & breakfast and a tourist resort based in the center of Naples. “We really hope that everything restarts as soon as possible – comments Andrea Gaeta – not only for our laundry but for the entire community, too. If we compare last year to this year, I can perhaps notice less fear of the virus but more depression, for sure. It is a sign that we need to be able to go to the theatre again, travel and give people a hug”.
In the meantime, we all need to see people who continue doing their jobs in an impeccable way. Just like the Santa Chiara laundry in Naples.
by Stefano Ferrio
Detergo Magazine April 2021
