Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia

Music

Dance music moves from nobility to farmers

In the mid-19th century, professional musical groups like the Concerto Cantoni began performing dance music such as the waltz, polka, and mazurka for farmers, whereas this music had previously been restricted to the homes of the nobility.

Daily life

Lack of public water and sewage infrastructure

Public water pipes were rare; by the late 19th century, over half of municipalities lacked them, forcing people to draw water from wells or public fountains. Sewage systems were also non-existent in over 77 percent of municipalities, often leading to contaminated water.

What it cost

Food costs for the poor in Naples

For one soldo, a poor person in Naples could buy a slice of pizza, a small cone of fried fish, or six small, slightly worm-eaten pears.

What people wore

Wedding attire and color norms

For weddings, pastel colors were still common in this period, and it was considered inappropriate for brides over 25 years old to wear a white dress and veil.

Getting around

Railway challenges and social class differences

Train schedules were unreliable and inconsistent between cities, sometimes varying by over 10 minutes due to different local time standards. Trains also had distinct social classes, with third-class passengers often enduring crowded, basic, and sometimes unroofed carriages.

At the table

Street pizza for a soldo

In late 19th-century Naples, poor families often bought ready-to-eat slices of pizza from street vendors for one soldo, a small coin, frequently topping them with garlic, tomato, or salted anchovies.