Philip de' Medici

At the table

Mandatory salt consumption in the Duchy

To support salt production and preservation of meats, cheeses, and fish, residents were required to consume about 11.4 kg of salt per person annually, which cost 25 sous.

What people wore

Everyday village clothing for women

In the sixteenth-century villages of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, women's daily attire consistently included a shirt (camicia), a dress (veste), a veil, a cap (scuffia), and an apron (scossale).

Getting around

Network of roads and mule tracks

The region relied on a network of paths and roads, including the major Via Emilia that connected Parma and Piacenza, while others like the route to Spezia were mountain mule tracks. Carriageable roads existed for local travel, such as the route between Piacenza, Rivergaro, and Travi.

What it cost

Mandatory annual salt tax and consumption

To ensure salt consumption, the state mandated each person consume about 11.4 kg of salt annually, costing 25 sous, as part of a state monopoly on salt distribution.

Music

Public Wind Performances in Parma

Municipal wind bands, consisting of trumpeters and shawm players, performed concerts from the balcony of the town hall or in the public square.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Savoy towns

Towns such as Chambery and Montmelian paid schoolmasters, supported by ecclesiastical institutions or private patronage.