Umberto II of Italy

Umberto II was the last King of Italy. Umberto's reign lasted for 34 days, from 9 May 1946 until his formal deposition on 12 June 1946, although he had been the de facto head of state since 1944. Due to his short reign, he was nicknamed the May King.

Public hostility to new styles

When women first appeared in Italian cities wearing split skirts or culottes in 1911, they faced aggressive public harassment and protests for challenging traditional dress norms.

Apron signals romantic interest

In mountain villages, women used their aprons as a silent language; moving the apron to the right side signaled a romantic interest in a young man.

Christmas Music by Zampognari Musicians

At Christmastime, zampognari musicians traveled from the Abruzzi mountains to Naples, playing bagpipes and the ciaramella to perform music before images of the Holy Infant during the nine-day Novena.

Popular Neapolitan Song Printed 180,000 Times

The Neapolitan song Te voglio bene assaje became extremely popular, with 180,000 copies of its lyrics printed for the public.

Lack of a unified time system

Travel times were inconsistent because there was no unified time; for example, trains in Verona ran with a 13-minute delay compared to those in Turin. Additionally, local time in cities like Lecce differed by several minutes depending on longitude.

Reaching the train station by mule cart

For many people in the early 1900s, reaching a train station required walking down mountain paths to a village where they could catch a mule cart. This was often the first time individuals had traveled beyond a few miles from their birthplace.

Candlelit homes and open hearth cooking

Until around 1910, most homes relied on candles, oil lamps, or petroleum lamps for lighting. Cooking was done over open fires that blackened kitchens with smoke until newer closed stoves appeared around 1915–1920.

First Italian village with modern electric light

Crespi d'Adda workers' village was the first in Italy to feature modern Edison public street lighting.

Boiled chestnuts as a main course

For one soldo, street vendors in Naples sold nine boiled chestnuts in a reddish juice, which the poor used as a main course by soaking their bread in the liquid.

Peasant diets relied on carbohydrates

Peasant families often lived on a diet centered on carbohydrates like polenta made of maize flour, beans, and bread, with meat consumption remaining very low at about 14 to 15 kilograms per person annually.

Cost to set up a home

In the early 1900s, a Neapolitan couple could set up a new home with basic furniture, such as a wooden chest and a kitchen cupboard, for 350 to 400 lire.

Bread price spikes in Milan

The price of prime-quality bread in Milan rose from 30 centesimi per libra in April 1897 to 38 centesimi by January 1898.