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Alfonso IV d'Este, Duke of Modena

Modena, 14 Oct 1634 – Modena, 16 Jul 1662

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 14 Oct 1634

    Born in Modena

  2. 1658–1662

    Duke of Ferrara and of Modena

  3. 5 Oct 1658

    A daughter is born

  4. 16 Jul 1662

    Dies in Modena, aged 27

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Modena.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1630s · Alfonso IV is born in Modena

In the news1636–1637

Spanish Invasion and Plundering in 1636

Spanish troops invaded and plundered the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, causing famine and disease that killed over 10,000 civilians.

Daily life

Communal dining habits and etiquette

Dining often involved sharing dishes, cups, and bowls, requiring guests to eat sparingly to leave food for others, as the key rule at the table was sharing.

In the news1630

Plague Epidemic in Piacenza in 1630

A major plague epidemic struck Piacenza, leading to strict quarantine orders and city-wide regulations issued throughout 1630 to contain the contagion.

At the table

Wine as daily beverage

Due to contaminated water in Novara, ordinary people often consumed wine as their daily beverage to avoid health risks.

Music

Instruments at Savoy festivals

Festivals during this era featured diverse instrumental music, including lutes, flutes, and trumpets used to accompany banquets and theatrical dances.

Getting around

Alpine Travel and Porter Fees

Crossing the Alps required changing transport methods, where travelers sometimes hired specialized porters to carry them in sedan chairs across steep, non-carriageable mountain passes for a fee of one Spanish pistol per person.

What it cost

Publicly regulated bread prices and supply

Public authorities in Turin strictly regulated the bread supply, setting official prices based on wheat market fluctuations to ensure social stability. They conducted bread tests to calculate production costs and guarantee an affordable supply for residents.