Maria Elisabetta Carlotta of Savoy

What people wore

Sardinian Costume as Cultural Identity

During the second half of the 18th century, traditional Sardinian costume became a distinct and exclusive form of cultural heritage that served as a tool for ethnic and social identification. Although garments varied by village, they were deeply rooted in the daily lives of the population.

Daily life

Primitive one-room homes for the poor

For the poor, homes were primitive, one-room ground-floor dwellings built from raw bricks or stone with packed-earth or cobblestone floors and no windows. The hearth was dug into the floor in the center of the room, and the home contained only a large parents' bed and mats for the children.

Work

Servant wages and rural conditions

Servants were often paid in a mix of money and goods, with annual wages typically ranging from 4 to 7 scudi for women and 6 to 10 scudi for men. Rural servants frequently had to endure harsh, primitive conditions, living in the open countryside with livestock for years at a time.

Music

Celebrations during the religious novenas

During novenas, people gathered at small country churches for celebrations that included religious gosos (songs of praise), poetry competitions, and traditional music and dancing until late at night.

At the table

Bread as the daily foundation

For ordinary families, bread was the central pillar of daily nutrition, often complemented by cheese, legumes, seasonal fruits, and occasionally pork from home-raised pigs.

Getting around

Strict schedules for grain carts

Farmers transporting grain to cities used slow ox-drawn carts and had to arrive before noon, or they were forced to stay overnight in the town outskirts.

What it cost

Price of butcher's meat

Butcher's meat in Nice generally sold for 3 sols per pound, though the local pound was only twelve ounces.