Cristina Ippolita di Savoia

At the table

Bread and subsistence diets

City dwellers often ate bread made with fine flour, while rural families frequently relied on coarser bread mixtures containing pulses and less valuable cereals. In times of extreme hardship, rural inhabitants might sustain themselves primarily on beans and chestnuts.

What people wore

Alamari loops served as fashionable modern fasteners

In the 1650s, court costumes introduced modern decorative elements like alamari, which were folded loops used for fasteners and ornamentation on luxury garments.

Getting around

Land travel relied on animals and foot

In the 17th century, travel on land typically relied on the speed of horses, oxen, or walking, with carriages, mules, or foot travel being the primary methods for people to move between towns.

What it cost

Regulated bread and food distribution during crises

In times of famine, authorities in the Duchy fixed maximum daily purchase quantities for cereals to limit speculation. They also opened state-run shops to sell bread made from lower-quality cereals and pulses at low, controlled prices to help the poorest citizens.

Music

Louder music for dancing at carnival

During a 1561 carnival celebration in Piacenza, musicians were instructed to play with increased volume as the party progressed to make the dance music more vigorous.

Daily life

Ursuline education for girls

Ursuline sisters in Parma and Piacenza managed a unique form of cloister that allowed them to leave their homes to attend church and teach local girls. Families valued this education because it provided a controlled way for their daughters to be seen in public.