Rosa Vercellana

Rosa Vercellana, 1st Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda, commonly known as 'Rosina' and, in Piedmontese, as La Bela Rosin, was the mistress and later wife of Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy. Despite this, the morganatic status of her marriage meant that she was never recognized as Queen of Italy.

Formal dress for life events

For church services, weddings, and funerals, ordinary people wore their best clothes, with women covering their heads and both sexes wearing formal black attire for mourning.

Working class clothing and footwear

In the early nineteenth century, industrial workers typically wore plain working clothes, often paired with wooden-soled clogs, while many urban poor wore rags.

Parisian singing societies and long gatherings

In Paris, goguettes—popular singing societies—were central to daily life, with approximately twenty songs typically sung during meetings that lasted four to five hours.

Parisian street musicians and singers

In the early 1830s, Paris had 106 barrel organ players and 135 singers who performed in the streets as a form of everyday public entertainment.

Rise of railway travel speed

In 1848, trains could cover 30 km per hour, twice the average speed of a stagecoach, which traveled about 15 km per hour. Early railway passengers often needed to bring portable candlesticks to read because lighting was deficient.

Travel durations and costs in France

A journey from Paris to Rouen by carriage took 18 hours, while traveling to Barèges required 11 days. During the era of stagecoaches, a dinner at a good inn typically cost two francs.

Cramped and dark living conditions

Ordinary urban homes were often cramped and poorly ventilated, with many workers living in simple apartments of one or two rooms, while some lived in communal boarding houses where rooms were shared dormitory-style. Interior spaces were frequently dark and smoky, as homes relied on open hearths for both heating and cooking, and floors were often made of packed earth rather than wood.

Schooling in domestic spaces

While a royal ordinance in 1816 mandated that every commune maintain a school with free education for the poor, implementation was difficult and many children received instruction in settings that doubled as the teacher's living quarters, kitchen, or even bedroom. Teachers often managed their domestic chores, such as cooking at the fireplace, simultaneously while trying to instruct pupils in the same room.

Bread was the daily staple food

Bread made up seven-eighths of the working-class diet in Paris, while families often added stewed pears, roasted apples, or small amounts of pork or bacon in winter.

Diluted beverages were common for families

Working families frequently drank beer mixed with water, wine, or blackcurrant juice, especially when visiting guinguettes on Sundays.

Cost of bread and rent around 1830

Around 1830 in Paris, a large loaf of bread cost approximately 20 to 24 sous (1 to 1.20 francs), and a modest apartment could be rented for 60 to 150 francs per year.

Industrial worker daily wages in the 1840s

Around 1835, a silk worker in Lyon earned about 2 to 2.50 francs per day, while in the 1840s, an industrial worker in the Paris region earned an average of 3.07 francs daily.

A 15-hour workday in factories

In many French manufacturing sectors, workers endured a typical workday of 15 hours, which included 13 hours of effective labor.

Daily wages in the 1830s

Common male laborers in Lille earned around 30 sous per day, while women often earned between 12 and 40 sous depending on their skill level.