Princess Isabelle d’Orléans

Getting around

Poor conditions for train passengers

During the late 19th century, trains were often poorly lit, forcing passengers to bring portable candles to read, and heating was only provided in first-class carriages using hot water bottles.

At the table

Tax-free home distillation privileges

Between 1875 and 1914, French peasants had a legal privilege to distill part of their own wine, cider, or fruit harvest into spirits without paying any taxes or needing declarations.

What people wore

Costumes as social and marital indicators

Sardinian folk costumes acted as indicators of social status, with wealth signaled by the quality and dye of the fabric, the number of buttons, or the type of metal used for finger rings. Marital status was often signaled by the color of a dress, the type of hairstyle, or a man's vest color.

Music

Large regional music competitions drew thousands

Musical societies frequently performed at regional competitions, such as one in 1891 in Aurillac that brought together over 1,000 performers to parade and compete.

Daily life

Modest homes and contaminated water supplies

In homes before electricity, families often lived in just a few square meters, using a ground floor room as a kitchen and an upstairs room for sleeping. Lacking public water pipes, residents relied on wells or public fountains, and their drinking water was often contaminated due to the absence of sewage systems.