Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua

Getting around

Pack animals dominated 16th-century travel

In the 16th century, travel across mountain routes was done exclusively by pack animals like mules, as carriages could not navigate the terrain. Large carts used on flat roads were often pulled by oxen, while carriages were rare and uncomfortable, lacking suspension.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Florence

Merchant children attended practical abacus schools to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic for trade, while wealthier families hired private tutors to teach Latin, grammar, and geometry. Girls were traditionally taught domestic arts, though some progressive families began to push for broader education.

What people wore

The trend of men wearing beards

While once clean-shaven faces were common, by the mid-sixteenth century, about ninety-five out of every hundred Florentine men adopted the trend of wearing beards, which was considered more masculine. Those who chose to remain clean-shaven were often mocked as old-fashioned and labeled with the derisive term zazzeroni.

Music

Popular Carnival songs and street theater

Florentine Carnival songs were popular secular tunes performed by costumed groups during street festivals, often featuring witty, satirical lyrics about different trades.

At the table

Meat as a rare treat

When a pig was slaughtered, it was customary for neighbors to share blood sausage as a gesture of friendship and good luck. Meat was otherwise rarely consumed by the poor, reserved primarily for special occasions like holidays.