Ferdinando II de' Medici

What people wore

Famine-Era Food Restrictions and Rationing

During periods of famine, authorities prohibited the baking of luxury bread and sweets to control food costs. The poorest citizens relied on state-subsidized shops that sold bread made from a mix of inferior cereals and pulses.

At the table

Rural diet of beans and chestnuts

During times of severe famine, country dwellers survived by consuming minimal food, such as beans and chestnuts, as cities prioritized their own limited grain supplies over feeding the rural population.

News and letters

Letter travel time: Turin to Paris

During the early seventeenth century, a letter typically took about a week to travel between Turin and Paris, although this was subject to weather conditions across the Alps.

Getting around

Travel and Communication in the Duchy

In the early 17th century, the Via Emilia was a vital, though sometimes poorly maintained, route for transit between Piacenza, Parma, and Bologna, featuring regular services by couriers and messengers who operated on fixed schedules. Travel on this route was managed via post stations where riders could change horses to maintain efficient communication networks.

What it cost

Grain sale limits during famine

During the famine years around 1590–1593, authorities prohibited the sale of grain in quantities larger than 4.7 kg to prevent speculation.

Daily life

Bread rationing for the poor

To prevent riots during food shortages, the state rationed bread, forcing the poor to eat smaller loaves made from pulses and low-quality cereals. Luxury bread and sweets were strictly forbidden during these times of scarcity.

Work

Paying rent with capons

Rural tenants often paid their rent in the form of a pair of capons, which were required to be delivered within a week of Saint Martin's Day on November 11.