Enrica Weiss

What people wore

Grumento festive female attire

Women in Grumento wore a typical dress on special occasions consisting of a light brown skirt with a large pleated section, a matching corsage with gold embroidery, and a traditional apron. They accessorized with a gold jewelry set featuring pendant earrings and gold pendants on velvet straps.

Getting around

Stagecoach travel was slow and exhausting

Before widespread rail, stagecoaches were primary for intercity travel, with a journey from Bologna to Florence taking up to 15 hours. Travel was slow, often requiring numerous stops at post stations to change horses.

At the table

Chestnuts as a main meal

Neapolitan families with only one soldo might buy nine boiled chestnuts to eat as a main course, often using the reddish boiling water to soak their bread.

Music

Zampognari bagpipers at Christmas

At Christmas, zampognari bagpipers from the Abruzzi mountains traveled to Naples to perform with a bagpipe and a small clarinet called a ciaramella. They went from house to house playing and singing for the Novena, the nine days before Christmas.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and common truancy challenges

Schooling was compulsory for children aged 6 to 9, but truancy was common because parents often prioritized farm labor. In 1885, a teacher might struggle to manage a class, and when school facilities were rented, they often lacked basic furniture or toilets.