Francis I of the Two Sicilies

At the table

Acquacotta: The Peasant Stone Soup

Ordinary people often ate acquacotta, a simple dish literally meaning cooked water, made from water, stale bread, and onions.

What people wore

Everyday dress for peasant men

Peasant men typically dressed in coarse-fabric jackets, knee-length breeches, and waistcoats. While these garments were not refined in cut, there was a noticeable attention to detail and a sense of good taste in the pairing of colors.

Getting around

Hours spent walking to fields

Commuting to distant fields often took several hours of walking, because agricultural lands were generally far from the villages.

What it cost

Price of butcher's meat

Butcher's meat in Nice generally sold for 3 sols per pound, though the local pound was only twelve ounces.

Music

Handel's music in Florence

Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo supported Handel's vocal music, and his collection included manuscript scores of works like Alexander's Feast and Judas Maccabaeus.

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.