Eleonora Gonzaga

Getting around

Alpine Travel and Porter Fees

Crossing the Alps required changing transport methods, where travelers sometimes hired specialized porters to carry them in sedan chairs across steep, non-carriageable mountain passes for a fee of one Spanish pistol per person.

Daily life

Communal dining habits and etiquette

Dining often involved sharing dishes, cups, and bowls, requiring guests to eat sparingly to leave food for others, as the key rule at the table was sharing.

What people wore

Women's Daily and Festive Headwear

Peasant women often wore their hair in two braids pinned with a broad needle and kept a straw hat with a black border on their heads throughout the entire day, even during meals. For Sundays and feasts, women upgraded their attire with lace-trimmed caps and felt hats.

Music

Instruments at Savoy festivals

Festivals during this era featured diverse instrumental music, including lutes, flutes, and trumpets used to accompany banquets and theatrical dances.

At the table

The humble paniccio dish

In the Novara countryside during the 17th century, ordinary families relied on paniccio, a dish made with beans, as a staple food.