Francesco Farnese

What people wore

Feast day attire

For feast days and Sundays, people increasingly wore finer, brightly colored fabrics that were imported rather than produced in the village.

Daily life

Kitchen life in Piacenza's Apennines

In the Piacenza Apennines, the kitchen was the family hub, featuring a large, protruding wooden hood over a hearth where fires were sometimes built directly on the floor. Wealthy families often built niches into the walls beside the fireplace, allowing them to rest and stay warm near the fire.

Work

Hardships of the common people

During times of famine and war, survival for the poorest was so dire that they lived on ground shells and nuts mixed with a small amount of oats or barley. Additionally, during military occupations, peasants were often forced to provide heating, bedding, salt, and cooking materials for quartered troops.

Music

Hunting horns in religious and public life

Hunting horns were used for communication and public celebration, with performances traditionally occurring during mass on Saint Hubert's Feast Day. This ancient sound helped connect the congregation and audience to nature during these open-air events.

At the table

Simple Daily Meals and Rare Meat

For many ordinary people, the daily meal was simple and focused on survival, often consisting of dark bread, wine, and soups made with vegetables like cabbage, turnips, or onions. Meat was a rare luxury, eaten mostly during festivals or when money allowed.

Getting around

Horse relay postal systems

Organized postal routes allowed authorized travelers or couriers to use relay stations to swap tired horses for fresh ones, significantly increasing their travel speed.

What it cost

Wheat prices doubled during a food crisis

During a severe food crisis in Turin between 1676 and 1678, the price of a measure of wheat rose from less than 43 soldi to 105 soldi.