Maximilian Johann Joseph Erzherzog von Österreich

At the table

Acquacotta: The Peasant Stone Soup

Ordinary people often ate acquacotta, a simple dish literally meaning cooked water, made from water, stale bread, and onions.

What people wore

Sardinian Costume as Cultural Identity

During the second half of the 18th century, traditional Sardinian costume became a distinct and exclusive form of cultural heritage that served as a tool for ethnic and social identification. Although garments varied by village, they were deeply rooted in the daily lives of the population.

Getting around

Extra animals for steep terrain

Travelers often needed extra horses or mules to navigate steep or sandy mountain terrain, paying extra fees for these additional animals.

What it cost

Fixed Price Bread in Florence

In Florence, the price of a loaf of bread was fixed at eight soldi for most of the eighteenth century, with authorities adjusting the loaf's weight rather than the price itself to manage market fluctuations.

Music

The launeddas: a traditional wind instrument

The launeddas, a wind instrument made of three cane pipes of different lengths, was played professionally during processions, religious festivals, and dances in southern Sardinia.

Daily life

Schools and Student Life

State-run schools for girls taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and textile work, with deserving students eligible for a substantial dowry of 140 scudi after eight years. Pupils were required to maintain absolute silence and were corrected with zeal and charity if they showed negligence or inappropriate behavior.