Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi

What people wore

Holy Day respect in clean clothing

On feast days, laboring men and women carefully preserved special clothes to wear, as wearing a clean, pure white shirt or jacket was considered a necessary sign of respect toward God.

Getting around

Travel by foot and mule was common

Many ordinary people in remote or mountainous areas still traveled exclusively on foot or by mule along narrow trails. This isolation persisted because many municipalities lacked proper roads until late in the 19th century.

At the table

Chestnuts as a main meal

Neapolitan families with only one soldo might buy nine boiled chestnuts to eat as a main course, often using the reddish boiling water to soak their bread.

Music

Street musicians for two grani

In Sicily, street musicians playing instruments like the fiddle, mandolin, or flute could be hired for two grani to play popular dance music such as the tarantella or fasola.

Daily life

Compulsory schooling and common truancy challenges

Schooling was compulsory for children aged 6 to 9, but truancy was common because parents often prioritized farm labor. In 1885, a teacher might struggle to manage a class, and when school facilities were rented, they often lacked basic furniture or toilets.