She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
The 1830s · Donna is born
In the news1835–1837
Deadly cholera epidemic hits Italy in 1835
A cholera epidemic struck Italy between 1835 and 1837, resulting in over 140,000 deaths, including nearly 20,000 in Naples alone. Poor sanitation in urban centers favored the spread of the disease, which disproportionately affected the poor.
Getting around
Travel by mule and lettiga in Sicily
In Sicily, travel was often done by mule or in a lettiga, a carriage-like box without wheels carried by two mules that moved at about three miles per hour. This unconventional vehicle was notoriously noisy due to bells and prone to swaying on uneven ground.
At the table
Scrap fish for a soldo
For one soldo, a poor resident could buy a small paper cone of fried fish known as fragaglia, which were the scraps from the bottom of fishmongers' baskets.
Around the world · 1839
Photography is born. The daguerreotype was presented in Paris: for the first time a face or a street could be kept exactly as it looked.
Unknown · public domain
What people wore
Cleanliness of Sorrento peasant women
Sorrento peasant women were noted for their cleanliness, never being seen in public without being combed and wearing footwear, even on regular work days.
Music
Music in religious festivals
Religious processions and festivals were vibrant musical events where people sang devotional songs and participated in popular theatre performances. These celebrations often merged music, dance, and collective banqueting to strengthen community bonds.
Daily life
Peasant homes in Fardella
Peasant homes in Fardella typically consisted of a ground floor for stables and storage, and a single first-floor room where families cooked, ate, and slept; they lacked both drinking water and electricity.