bagno

Bagno is the room in a building dedicated to personal hygiene and washing. In Italian usage, it designates the bathroom, usually equipped with a toilet, sink, and one or more of a shower or a bathtub. The term can also refer to a bath itself or to public bathing facilities such as bathhouses or thermal baths (terme).

Etymology: Bagno derives from Latin balneum, the root of words for bath in several Romance languages. Through medieval Italian, this term developed into the modern "bagno". The concept covers both secular and religious spaces devoted to bathing and cleansing, and by extension to rooms in homes or public buildings that contain bathing appliances.

Domestic bathrooms vary in size and layout. In many Italian homes a bidet is commonly installed in addition to the toilet, sink, and shower or tub. Common variants include bagno di servizio (smaller service bathroom), bagno padronale (master bathroom), and bagno in camera (en suite). Public restrooms (bagni pubblici) follow standardized layouts with stalls and sinks.

Historically, baths have served health, hygiene, and social functions, from ancient bathhouses and spas to the rise of private indoor bathrooms in modern times. Public health and sanitation improved with centralized plumbing and heating systems.