Taddeo Barberini

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.

Daily life

Schooling for the noble elite

Duke Ranuccio I founded a boarding school for noble boys in 1601, where students learned French, dancing, horsemanship, and fortification design. High fees were charged for this exclusive education that attracted pupils from across Europe.

Work

Public works for the poor

In 1591, the construction of the Parma Citadel was ordered specifically to provide employment for a labor force of 2,500 poor city residents.

Music

Lute and vocal music popularity

Private aristocratic and bourgeois entertainment was almost entirely vocal, with the lute often accompanying singing in the popular air de cour genre.

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.

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

Strict grain rationing in Parma

During the 1590-1593 famine, authorities strictly limited grain transactions, prohibiting any individual deal involving more than 4.7 kg of grain to prevent hoarding.