Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale

At the table

Staple meals for working families

Working-class families often ate pasta, specifically a cheap, mixed-quality version called monnezzaglia, or relied on tavern food like the hearty minestra maritata soup made with meat and vegetables.

What people wore

Political symbols adorned daily attire

Public display of political allegiance became mandatory or prudent through small, inexpensive accessories like the red, white, and blue tricolor cockade. True republicans also wore civic-themed jewelry featuring revolutionary emblems like phrygian caps, sometimes even fashioned into shapes resembling miniature guillotines.

Getting around

Slow and expensive travel across France

Between 1800 and 1824, land travel was slow and expensive; a journey across France could take 20 to 30 days on foot or by slow carriage. Transporting a ton of goods from Paris to Marseille cost around 250 francs, roughly the annual wage of an unskilled laborer.

What it cost

Daily wages for laborers and craftsmen

In the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies around 1825–1849, a common laborer earned 15–20 grana per day, while specialized craftsmen could earn 80 grana. Workers often received an additional daily allowance of 10–15 grana for food if it was not provided on the job.

Music

Parisian singing societies and long gatherings

In Paris, goguettes—popular singing societies—were central to daily life, with approximately twenty songs typically sung during meetings that lasted four to five hours.

Daily life

Schooling in domestic spaces

While a royal ordinance in 1816 mandated that every commune maintain a school with free education for the poor, implementation was difficult and many children received instruction in settings that doubled as the teacher's living quarters, kitchen, or even bedroom. Teachers often managed their domestic chores, such as cooking at the fireplace, simultaneously while trying to instruct pupils in the same room.