Antonio de' Medici

At the table

Seasonal Fruits and Home-Made Salami

Families ate seasonal produce such as grapes in September, oranges in November, and various fruits like cherries, strawberries, and melons as summer approached. They also prepared for the colder months by buying spices, pepper, and salt in December, specifically to make salami.

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

Carriages required extensive resources

Wealthy travelers used carriages, but these required significant support, including horses, specialized personnel, and frequent maintenance on poor roads.

What it cost

Urban and rural bread quality differences

City dwellers in Parma received bread made from high-quality flour, while rural inhabitants relied on coarse bread made from a mixture of pulses and less-valuable cereals.

Music

The Popular Pavane Dance

The solemn, slow-moving pavane was a popular dance used by nobles for grand entries and festivities, often accompanied by drums, oboes, trombones, and violins.

Daily life

Storing water and cooking on the floor

Water was kept in wooden buckets reinforced with iron rings, and because drinking pure water was often feared, it was typically mixed with wine. Cooking took place over a fire built directly on the floor, using a chain to hang a single cooking pot.