Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi

What people wore

Grumento festive female attire

Women in Grumento wore a typical dress on special occasions consisting of a light brown skirt with a large pleated section, a matching corsage with gold embroidery, and a traditional apron. They accessorized with a gold jewelry set featuring pendant earrings and gold pendants on velvet straps.

Getting around

Travel by foot and mule was common

Many ordinary people in remote or mountainous areas still traveled exclusively on foot or by mule along narrow trails. This isolation persisted because many municipalities lacked proper roads until late in the 19th century.

At the table

Pizza as an affordable daily meal

Poor Neapolitans could purchase a slice of pizza for one soldo, a common price for a simple meal including items like fried fish or boiled corn.

Music

Street musicians for two grani

In Sicily, street musicians playing instruments like the fiddle, mandolin, or flute could be hired for two grani to play popular dance music such as the tarantella or fasola.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and common truancy challenges

Schooling was compulsory for children aged 6 to 9, but truancy was common because parents often prioritized farm labor. In 1885, a teacher might struggle to manage a class, and when school facilities were rented, they often lacked basic furniture or toilets.