Carla Destefanis

Music

Traditional Tarantella dancing at weddings

At wedding receptions, guests often danced the tarantella, a dynamic and symmetric dance that remains a memorable cultural tradition.

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

The Single Sunday Suit

Country men owned only one dark suit for feast days and weddings, which was passed down through generations and frequently resoled when the leather shoes wore out.

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

Meat as a luxury food

Meat was often considered a luxury, with some families only able to afford it once a week, and many people in poor areas lived on simple diets of legumes and vegetables.