Princess Luisa Cristina of Savoy

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

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

Barber-surgeons in Parma

Barber-surgeons were the most numerous medical workers in Parma, often performing both grooming tasks like shaving and invasive procedures such as bloodletting using razors and lancets.

Music

The wandering hurdy-gurdy player

In popular tradition, wandering musicians, often children, were known for traveling across Europe and performing to the sound of the hurdy-gurdy.

At the table

Chicken was rarely eaten

For peasant families, eating chicken was a rare event, considered a sign that the bird was not worth selling at the market.

Getting around

Travel by Foot, Horse, or Carriage

Most common people traveled on foot, while wealthier individuals might use horses, mules, or carriages if the road conditions permitted.

What it cost

Fixed bread prices in Parma

In Parma, bread was sold at prices fixed by public authorities, and poor city dwellers could buy lower-quality bread made from pulses and cereals at state-run shops during times of famine.