Francesco Ruspoli, 3rd Prince of Cerveteri

What people wore

Daily Versus Festive Attire

The clothing construction was strictly dictated by social customs, with differences between daily wear and festive attire being more pronounced in women's clothing than in men's. Elaborate decorations such as embroidery and fine ornaments were significantly more abundant on garments worn during religious festivities and celebrations.

Getting around

Strict schedules for grain carts

Farmers transporting grain to cities used slow ox-drawn carts and had to arrive before noon, or they were forced to stay overnight in the town outskirts.

At the table

Tomatoes were a daily staple food

During the eighteenth century, tomatoes were already part of the daily diet in Sardinia and were preserved for long-term use with vinegar, a preparation known as sa pibarda.

Music

Celebrations during the religious novenas

During novenas, people gathered at small country churches for celebrations that included religious gosos (songs of praise), poetry competitions, and traditional music and dancing until late at night.

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.

What it cost

Cost of game and poultry

In Nice, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia at the time, a capon, a brace of partridges, or a good hare cost 30 sols.