Isabella of Naples

What people wore

Restrictions on jewelry for young adults

Sumptuary laws issued in 1516 forbade residents under thirty from wearing jewels or pearls, though they were permitted to own no more than three rings decorated with precious stones.

Daily life

Water collection and sewage management

Florentine homes used roof gutters to collect rainwater into a tank for household use. They also maintained a separate tank for sewage that residents paid to have cleared daily.

Work

Common Jobs in the Wool Industry

The wool industry was the primary employer in Florence, relying on many unskilled laborers known as the Ciompi who prepared raw wool in merchant-owned workshops. Other common roles included silk production, construction, and various specialized artisanal trades.

Music

Domestic Instruments and Decorated Keyboards

By the mid-16th century, musical instruments like lutes, harpsichords, and spinets were found in households of various social levels, from noble families to barbers and merchants. Owners often decorated their keyboard instruments with mottoes such as There is dancing when I sing.

At the table

Daily meal schedule for the poor

The poor consumed three scarce daily meals: bread soaked in wine upon waking, lunch around eleven, and dinner after sunset.

Getting around

Value of pack animals in 1387

During the Renaissance, specialized mules were valued; a 1387 document records a mule's worth at 6.10 libbre, compared to 1.76 libbre for a donkey.

What it cost

Food costs and extreme shortages

Food prices fluctuated greatly, with meat like veal costing 3 soldi per pound in stable times, but skyrocketing during shortages when even mice were sometimes sold as food.