Beatrice of Naples

What people wore

Lavish gift of a priestly vestment

In 1514, a diplomatic gift to the Pope included a priestly vestment embroidered with pearls and precious stones, valued at over 25,000 ducats.

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

Festive Kingdoms and Social Exclusion

Lower-class workers formed festive groups called potenze to reclaim social status, where they elected their own kings and turned their districts into mock kingdoms during holidays like May Day. Additionally, the Wool Guild once funded the massive Cathedral project, yet the subordinate wool-beaters who did the actual work remained excluded from guild politics.

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

Cost of footwear

While basic shoes were affordable at around 2 soldi, a pair of nice shoes could cost as much as 2 florins, equivalent to about 140 soldi.