He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Florence.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
The 1760s · Ferdinand is born in Florence
In the news1763–1767
Famine in Southern Italy (1763-1767)
A devastating famine occurred in Southern Italy, killing approximately 300,000 people due to starvation and related diseases like typhus. It was caused by extreme weather, poor agricultural practices, and failed food distribution systems.
Getting around
Walking or riding donkeys for travel
Ordinary people typically traveled to work in fields on foot or by using donkeys, as there were no roads in many rural areas.
At the table
Bread as the daily foundation
For ordinary families, bread was the central pillar of daily nutrition, often complemented by cheese, legumes, seasonal fruits, and occasionally pork from home-raised pigs.
Around the world · 1756–1763
The Seven Years’ War. Fought in Europe, the Americas, Africa and India, often called the first world war: Britain took Canada and India from France.
Blaue Max · CC BY-SA 4.0
What people wore
Sardinian Costume as Cultural Identity
During the second half of the 18th century, traditional Sardinian costume became a distinct and exclusive form of cultural heritage that served as a tool for ethnic and social identification. Although garments varied by village, they were deeply rooted in the daily lives of the population.
Music
Common dances: baddu pasturinu and baddu tundu
In this period, people frequently performed two main types of dances: the baddu pasturinu (pastoral dance) for pairs and the baddu tundu (round dance) for groups holding hands in a circle.
Daily life
Primitive one-room homes for the poor
For the poor, homes were primitive, one-room ground-floor dwellings built from raw bricks or stone with packed-earth or cobblestone floors and no windows. The hearth was dug into the floor in the center of the room, and the home contained only a large parents' bed and mats for the children.