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Donna Francesca di Paola Lucchesi-Palli

12 Oct 1836 – 10 May 1923

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 12 Oct 1836

    Born

  2. 1868

    A son is born

  3. 10 May 1923

    Dies, aged 86

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 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.

The 1830s · Donna is born

In the news1835–1837

Deadly cholera epidemic hits Italy in 1835

A cholera epidemic struck Italy between 1835 and 1837, resulting in over 140,000 deaths, including nearly 20,000 in Naples alone. Poor sanitation in urban centers favored the spread of the disease, which disproportionately affected the poor.

Getting around

Climbing Mount Etna by horse and carriage

To climb Mount Etna, travelers would depart Catania by carriage for Nicolosi, then ride horses to the Casa degli inglesi, arriving at midnight. From there, they trekked 1.5 hours before dawn to reach the summit to witness the sunrise.

Around the world1825–1830

The first passenger railway

In England a steam locomotive pulled the first public train in 1825; within decades railways crossed every continent.

Daily life

Limited access to education

The kingdom had no compulsory school attendance, and education was largely controlled by the Church, with literacy rates remaining extremely low, at approximately 14.4 percent by 1861.

What people wore

Sorrento women's feast day attire

On feast days, peasant women in Sorrento wore bodices of damask with braided trim, styled their hair in a Chinese fashion, and wore a special pin called a spadella with a ribbon hanging down their necks.

Music

Essential instruments for daily life

Castanets and tambourines were essential instruments for dancers, frequently accompanied by violins and guitars. Guitars were especially favored for nocturnal serenades, open-air concerts, and romantic declarations.

At the table

Chestnuts as a main dish

Poor Neapolitans purchased nine boiled chestnuts for one soldo and used the reddish cooking juice to soak their bread as a main meal.