In the news1763–1767
Famine in Southern Italy (1763-1767)
A devastating famine occurred in Southern Italy, killing approximately 300,000 people due to starvation and related diseases like typhus. It was caused by extreme weather, poor agricultural practices, and failed food distribution systems.
Getting around
Strict schedules for grain carts
Farmers transporting grain to cities used slow ox-drawn carts and had to arrive before noon, or they were forced to stay overnight in the town outskirts.
At the table
Tomatoes were a daily staple food
During the eighteenth century, tomatoes were already part of the daily diet in Sardinia and were preserved for long-term use with vinegar, a preparation known as sa pibarda.
What people wore
Daily Versus Festive Attire
The clothing construction was strictly dictated by social customs, with differences between daily wear and festive attire being more pronounced in women's clothing than in men's. Elaborate decorations such as embroidery and fine ornaments were significantly more abundant on garments worn during religious festivities and celebrations.
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.