Margherita Salicola

What it cost

Regulated bread and food distribution during crises

In times of famine, authorities in the Duchy fixed maximum daily purchase quantities for cereals to limit speculation. They also opened state-run shops to sell bread made from lower-quality cereals and pulses at low, controlled prices to help the poorest citizens.

Music

Louder music for dancing at carnival

During a 1561 carnival celebration in Piacenza, musicians were instructed to play with increased volume as the party progressed to make the dance music more vigorous.

Daily life

Ursuline education for girls

Ursuline sisters in Parma and Piacenza managed a unique form of cloister that allowed them to leave their homes to attend church and teach local girls. Families valued this education because it provided a controlled way for their daughters to be seen in public.

Work

Peasant Rents and Sales

Peasant families paying rent for land often paid in money and agricultural products, such as an inescapable pair of capons due by November 11th, St. Martin's Day. They supplemented their income by selling surplus wine, poultry, eggs, and cheese.

Getting around

Slow daily travel speeds

Under normal conditions in the 17th century, travelers and cargo rarely moved more than 25 miles per day, with speeds decreasing significantly in bad weather or difficult terrain.

At the table

Bread and subsistence diets

City dwellers often ate bread made with fine flour, while rural families frequently relied on coarser bread mixtures containing pulses and less valuable cereals. In times of extreme hardship, rural inhabitants might sustain themselves primarily on beans and chestnuts.