Maria Paleologa

What people wore

Restrictions on jewelry for young adults

Sumptuary laws issued in 1516 forbade residents under thirty from wearing jewels or pearls, though they were permitted to own no more than three rings decorated with precious stones.

Daily life

Dining arrangements in the home

Florentine homes lacked dedicated dining rooms; instead, tables were set up wherever convenient, such as in front of a fireplace during winter. Food was passed to diners who sat only on one side of the table.

Work

Festive Kingdoms and Social Exclusion

Lower-class workers formed festive groups called potenze to reclaim social status, where they elected their own kings and turned their districts into mock kingdoms during holidays like May Day. Additionally, the Wool Guild once funded the massive Cathedral project, yet the subordinate wool-beaters who did the actual work remained excluded from guild politics.

Music

Domestic Instruments and Decorated Keyboards

By the mid-16th century, musical instruments like lutes, harpsichords, and spinets were found in households of various social levels, from noble families to barbers and merchants. Owners often decorated their keyboard instruments with mottoes such as There is dancing when I sing.

At the table

Monotonous diet for poor Florentines

Ordinary families had a monotonous diet based on unsalted bread, which was supplemented with inexpensive vegetables such as onions, fava beans, and black kale, or legumes instead of meat.

Getting around

Value of pack animals in 1387

During the Renaissance, specialized mules were valued; a 1387 document records a mule's worth at 6.10 libbre, compared to 1.76 libbre for a donkey.

What it cost

Cost of footwear

While basic shoes were affordable at around 2 soldi, a pair of nice shoes could cost as much as 2 florins, equivalent to about 140 soldi.