Maria Anna de Borbón

At the table

Bread as the daily foundation

For ordinary families, bread was the central pillar of daily nutrition, often complemented by cheese, legumes, seasonal fruits, and occasionally pork from home-raised pigs.

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

Walking or riding donkeys for travel

Ordinary people typically traveled to work in fields on foot or by using donkeys, as there were no roads in many rural areas.

What it cost

Cost of game and poultry

In Nice, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia at the time, a capon, a brace of partridges, or a good hare cost 30 sols.

Music

Celebrations during the religious novenas

During novenas, people gathered at small country churches for celebrations that included religious gosos (songs of praise), poetry competitions, and traditional music and dancing until late at night.

Daily life

Primitive one-room homes for the poor

For the poor, homes were primitive, one-room ground-floor dwellings built from raw bricks or stone with packed-earth or cobblestone floors and no windows. The hearth was dug into the floor in the center of the room, and the home contained only a large parents' bed and mats for the children.