Maria de las Mercedes Licer

Music

Social dancing in local ballrooms

During the 1950s, ballroom dance halls were central to social life, where people danced to the rhythms of filuzzi, polka, and mazurka.

Daily life

Rural home water and heating habits

In rural homes, families often kept a communal water bucket with a ladle on the sink, covering it with a cloth to keep out flies. To stay warm in unheated bedrooms during winter, people used a wooden frame called a 'prete' (priest) to hold a metal warmer containing hot embers under the bedsheets.

News and letters

Innovations in Postal Speed

To manage urban growth, Rome utilized a 65-kilometer pneumatic post network for the rapid transport of telegrams and urgent mail, while roadside mailboxes were introduced to allow people to post letters without leaving their vehicles.

What people wore

Traditional Rural Women's Attire

In rural areas, women over 30 typically wore long black dresses with modest bodices, often using a durable apron made of heavy fabric similar to denim.

Getting around

Long Journeys in Basilicata

In parts of Basilicata, residents sometimes spent over 12 to 14 hours traveling to Naples, a journey that could take 5 hours elsewhere.

What it cost

Cost of bread and shoes

A kilogram of bread cost 100 lire in 1950, increasing to 170 lire in 1965 and 230 lire by 1970, while a pair of shoes cost around 6,000 lire in 1965.