In the news1888
First National Healthcare Law Enacted
Following a cholera pandemic that killed approximately 50,000 people, the government enacted Italy's first national healthcare law in 1888.
15 Oct 1885 – 2 Aug 1895
7 facts1 source
15 Oct 1885
Born
2 Aug 1895
Dies, aged 9
He lived through 2 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
Who governed
Monarch of Italy, 951 · Kingdom of Italy
Monarch of Italy, 947 · Kingdom of Italy
Monarch of Italy, 1878–1900 · Kingdom of Italy
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
Stagecoach travel was slow and exhausting
Before widespread rail, stagecoaches were primary for intercity travel, with a journey from Bologna to Florence taking up to 15 hours. Travel was slow, often requiring numerous stops at post stations to change horses.
At the table
Polenta as a daily staple
By around 1870, peasant families in the Veneto region relied so heavily on cornmeal that they ate two to three kilograms of polenta daily, spending up to 60% of their income on it.
Around the world · 1879–1882Electric light. Edison’s light bulb and his first power stations, in New York and London, began to light cities with electricity.
In the news1888
Following a cholera pandemic that killed approximately 50,000 people, the government enacted Italy's first national healthcare law in 1888.
Music
Zampognari bagpipers at Christmas
At Christmas, zampognari bagpipers from the Abruzzi mountains traveled to Naples to perform with a bagpipe and a small clarinet called a ciaramella. They went from house to house playing and singing for the Novena, the nine days before Christmas.
Daily life
Rural homes and the shared stable lifestyle
In rural areas, many homes were small, unhealthy buildings often with only two rooms: a ground floor kitchen with dirt floors and an upstairs sleeping area. Families frequently spent winters in stables to use animal heat for warmth to save on firewood.