Ferdinando I de' Medici

What people wore

The everyday lucco robe for men

In summer, Florentine men of age eighteen or older often wore a long black robe called a lucco, which was made of serge or black cloth and reached nearly to their heels. For winter, this comfortable garment was often lined with fur or velvet to provide additional warmth.

Daily life

Diet and food preservation methods

Because refrigerators did not exist, food was heavily spiced to help preserve it, leading to gout among the rich who consumed significant amounts of meat. Poorer families relied on simpler diets consisting mainly of vegetables, legumes, and animal innards.

Work

Textiles were the primary industry

Textile production, particularly the wool and growing silk industries, was the largest employer, while other common trades included baking, butchery, and day labor. Many laborers were unskilled and worked in primary processing, such as wool-beating, for subsistence-level wages.

Music

Popular Carnival songs and street theater

Florentine Carnival songs were popular secular tunes performed by costumed groups during street festivals, often featuring witty, satirical lyrics about different trades.

At the table

Daily meals for poor families

Poor Florentine families typically ate three modest daily meals: bread soaked in wine upon waking, a midday lunch, and dinner after sunset. Saltless bread was the foundational staple for every meal, supplemented by affordable vegetables like onions, fava beans, and black cabbage.

Getting around

Dangerous mountain travel required extreme caution

Traveling the Apennines was so dangerous and arduous that travelers often made wills and held religious ceremonies before departing to protect themselves from bandits and accidents. Even royal visitors, like Galeazzo Sforza in 1471, had to have their carriages dismantled and moved by mule back.

What it cost

Meat prices during crisis periods

During times of crisis, a pound of veal cost between 40 and 50 soldi, while donkey meat was available for one carlino.