Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

Marie Louise was Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French and Queen of Italy from their marriage on 2 April 1810 until his abdication on 6 April 1814.

Clothing as Annual Servant Wages

Servants often received clothes as part of their annual wages, but these garments were made of less durable fabrics and inferior thread, causing them to wear out quickly within a year.

Daily Versus Feast Day Clothing

For daily chores, workers wore simple garments like rough linen blouses, while on feast days they wore finer linen, often distinguished by the quality of the material.

Church bells and daily rhythm

Religious music and church bells strictly structured daily life, with the ringing of bells signaling the start of the workday in the morning and its end with the evening Angelus. Religiously-themed customs, pilgrimages, and festivals remained central to the experiences of ordinary people throughout their lives.

Regional preferences for dance instruments

Towards the end of the 18th century, different instruments became favored for dance music depending on the setting, with harps and violins common in urban taverns, while zithers and hammered dulcimers were more typical in rural alpine regions.

Danube boat travel time

The Danube was a vital transport route, where the weekly 'Ordinari' boat from Regensburg to Vienna took at least one week to complete the 450-kilometer journey.

Mail coach travel discomfort

Travel by mail coach was uncomfortable, with passengers complaining of seats as hard as stone, and typically involved covering only about 37 kilometers per day.

Lighting costs were a major household expense

Families relied on candles or oil lamps for light, with expensive beeswax candles providing a cleaner flame than cheaper, smoky tallow versions made from animal fat. Small lighting costs were so significant that they led to the common idiom that a task might not be worth the candle.

Water, cooking, and food preservation challenges

Because many city wells were contaminated, residents often purchased water from street water-men, while cooking was done over open hearths or brick stoves that often left indoor environments smoky. Families preserved food by salting, drying, or storing items in cool, dark cellars to survive without modern refrigeration.

Refreshing drinks for the poor

In the 1780s, poor women in Vienna who could not afford wine drank water mixed with vinegar to stay refreshed during hot summers.

Potatoes become a staple food

During the second half of the eighteenth century, the potato became a vital staple food for lower social classes in the Habsburg monarchy because it was cheap, easy to grow, and yielded more than cereals.

Costs of everyday items in 1787

In 1787, a pair of winter shoes cost 33 kreuzer, while a Zinn (pewter) spoon was 5 kreuzer.

Price of livestock in 1787

In 1787, a cow cost 16 gulden and 20 kreuzer, and one gulden was equivalent to 60 kreuzer.

Common Jobs and Combined Occupations

Common jobs included weaving, day-laboring on farms, and specialized manual trades like bricklaying, with many people juggling multiple roles such as blacksmith and trader.

Daily Routine and Four Meals

Agricultural workers in summer often worked from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m. and were provided four meals daily, including options like milk-based porridge or fried pastries.