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Prince Alberto of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

17 Sep 1839 – 12 Jul 1844

7 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 17 Sep 1839

    Born

  2. 12 Jul 1844

    Dies, aged 4

During his lifetime

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.

The 1830s · Prince 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

Travel by mule and lettiga in Sicily

In Sicily, travel was often done by mule or in a lettiga, a carriage-like box without wheels carried by two mules that moved at about three miles per hour. This unconventional vehicle was notoriously noisy due to bells and prone to swaying on uneven ground.

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

Peasant homes in Fardella

Peasant homes in Fardella typically consisted of a ground floor for stables and storage, and a single first-floor room where families cooked, ate, and slept; they lacked both drinking water and electricity.

What people wore

Cleanliness of Sorrento peasant women

Sorrento peasant women were noted for their cleanliness, never being seen in public without being combed and wearing footwear, even on regular work days.

Music

Music in religious festivals

Religious processions and festivals were vibrant musical events where people sang devotional songs and participated in popular theatre performances. These celebrations often merged music, dance, and collective banqueting to strengthen community bonds.

At the table

Scrap fish for a soldo

For one soldo, a poor resident could buy a small paper cone of fried fish known as fragaglia, which were the scraps from the bottom of fishmongers' baskets.