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Princess Matilde d'Este of Modena

7 Feb 1729 – 14 Nov 1803

8 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 7 Feb 1729

    Born

  2. 14 Nov 1803

    Dies, aged 74

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 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 1720s · Princess is born

In the news1720

Company of Charity founded in 1720

In February 1720, Lodovico Antonio Muratori founded the Company of Charity in his parish to support the sick and needy of Modena.

Getting around

Slow and difficult carriage travel

Travel by carriage was complex and often slow, requiring constant stops for harness repairs or because road conditions created deep ruts and hollows.

At the table

Polenta and herring meals

Ordinary farming families practiced extreme thrift, frequently eating polenta seasoned with a single herring to feed at least three people.

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.In Europe · 1700–1721

The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.

Imonoz · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Soldiers' burial jewelry

Soldiers in the Savoyard infantry frequently bought a gold ring-shaped earring with their first wages to pay for their burial if they were killed in battle.

Music

Lenten oratorio performances at San Carlo

During Lent, ordinary people and nobles attended oratorio performances at the San Carlo Rotondo, a central venue for religious music in Modena. These performances were often supported by the Ducal Chapel to strengthen religious and political ties.

Daily life

Narrow, deep urban housing arrangements

Urban houses were narrow, deep, and usually spanned a ground floor with a shop, one or two living levels, and an attic. A typical dwelling included two rooms per floor, often alternating between a street-facing kitchen and a back bedroom.