Skip to content
VitrineVitrine

Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta

Athens, 13 Feb 1904 – Fiesole, 15 Apr 1974

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 13 Feb 1904

    Born in Athens

  2. 15 Apr 1974

    Dies in Fiesole, aged 70

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Athens.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1900s · Princess is born in Athens

Who governed

In the news1906

Simplon Tunnel opens, 1906

In 1906, the Simplon Tunnel, at 19.7 km the world's longest at the time, opened, connecting Italy and Switzerland by rail.

Music

Private family music ensembles

Small musical groups called kompanies, typically consisting of violin, santouri (dulcimer), guitar, or oud, played for private family celebrations like weddings and engagements.

The Model T. Ford’s assembly line made a car ordinary families could buy: fifteen million were built.Around the world · 1908–1927

The Model T. Ford’s assembly line made a car ordinary families could buy: fifteen million were built.

ModelTMitch · public domain

Daily life

Democratic and free public education access

Education was highly valued and free for all Greeks, with children from diverse backgrounds, such as a cabdriver's daughter and the child of a Secretary of State, learning together in the same schools. Attendance was eager, contrasting with the listless air observers found in their own countries.

In the news1905

Nationalization of Italian Railways, 1905

In 1905, the Italian state nationalized the railway network, forming the State Railways (FS) to modernize transport and boost heavy industry.

What people wore

Transition in undergarments

Women in some mountain villages did not wear underpants, and when they began to adopt them, the garments were considered a sign of modernity or sometimes even backwardness.

Getting around

Mule Transport and Wayside Inns

Mules and ponies were essential for difficult mountain terrain, with animals expertly navigating rocky paths at steep angles while carrying loads of 2 or 3 cwt. Travelers frequently sought shelter in wayside inns called chania, which were simple, single-room buildings used for eating, sleeping, and housing animals.