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Antoinette de Saint Léger

Saint Petersburg, 1856 – Intragna, 1948

12 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1856

    Born in Saint Petersburg

  2. 1948

    Dies in Intragna

Family

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Parents

Partners

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Saint Petersburg.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1850s · Antoinette is born in Saint Petersburg

In the news1852

1852 Railway Act promotes industrial growth

The 1852 Railway Act empowered private companies to build Switzerland's rail network, which became a vital driver of industrial modernization.

What people wore

Peasant Footwear and Versatile Fur Coats

Peasants frequently wore bast shoes made from tree bark, but wealthier individuals wore leather boots for important occasions. In winter, both rich and poor favored sheepskin coats, which were often worn year-round and served multiple roles, including as bedding.

Getting around

Railways revolutionized long-distance travel speed

The railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow, opened in 1851, reduced travel time between the two cities from four days by carriage to 22 hours by train.

The Crimean War. Britain, France and the Ottomans fought Russia in Crimea; Florence Nightingale’s nurses changed how the wounded were cared for.In Europe · 1853–1856

The Crimean War. Britain, France and the Ottomans fought Russia in Crimea; Florence Nightingale’s nurses changed how the wounded were cared for.

William Simpson, artist (1823-1899) E[dmond]. Morin, lithographer (1824 - 1882), · public domain

In the news1850

Introduction of the Swiss franc in 1850

In 1850, Switzerland adopted the Swiss franc as a single national currency, replacing various local cantonal currencies.

Music

Khorovod communal round dance

The khorovod was a popular communal round dance where up to a hundred people moved in a circle, often in a sunwise direction.

Daily life

Weekly Steam Baths and Water Access

The home had no plumbing or running water; families relied on pails of water and prioritized a weekly steam bath, often held in the stove itself or a dedicated bath-house. If a steam bath was unavailable, peasants would crawl into the heated oven to bathe.