Lino del Prete

Getting around

Poor conditions for train passengers

During the late 19th century, trains were often poorly lit, forcing passengers to bring portable candles to read, and heating was only provided in first-class carriages using hot water bottles.

At the table

Frugal Breakfasts and Coffee Substitutes

Before true coffee became widespread, many families drank an infusion made from roasted chickpeas, wheat, barley, or even acorns. Breakfast was very frugal, consisting of little more than a piece of bread and occasionally a small amount of jam.

What people wore

Costumes as social and marital indicators

Sardinian folk costumes acted as indicators of social status, with wealth signaled by the quality and dye of the fabric, the number of buttons, or the type of metal used for finger rings. Marital status was often signaled by the color of a dress, the type of hairstyle, or a man's vest color.

Music

The ballu tundu national dance

The ballu tundu, a circular chain dance, was the quintessential national dance of Sardinia, involving complex, secret hand pressures to coordinate movements.

Daily life

Protective headgear for children

Children often wore protective headgear called a bourrelet, a thick tress of straw designed to shield them from bumps and falls.