Infanta Maria Josefa of Spain

1744–1801

Born: 6 Jul 1744, Gaeta
Country of birth: Italy
Died: 8 Dec 1801, Madrid

facts: 8
sources: 1
images and files: 0

Facts and their sources

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Birth6 Jul 1744, GaetaProbable1 source
TitleMember of the Board of Ladies of Honour and Merit, 1787Confirmed1 source
Death8 Dec 1801, MadridProbable1 source
ParentMaria Amalia of SaxonyConfirmed1 source
ParentCharles III of SpainConfirmed1 source

A life in time

6 Jul 1744
Born · Gaeta
Birth, Gaeta
1787
Event · Member of the Board of Ladies of Honour and Merit
Event
8 Dec 1801
Died · Madrid
Death, Madrid

What was it like?

The world around Gaeta, 1744: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Infanta was born around the same time as Giuseppe Piazzi, Giovanni Battista Venturi, and Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de Saint-Aubin de Genlis.

Known for

Titles held

Member of the Board of Ladies of Honour and Merit1787

Born around the same time

Giuseppe Piazzi
1746 · Italian Catholic priest, mathematician and astronomer (1746–1826)
Giovanni Battista Venturi
1746 · Italian physicist
Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de Saint-Aubin de Genlis
1746 · French writer (1746–1830)
Giuseppe Cambini
1746 · Italian musician (1746-1825)
Venanzio Rauzzini
1746 · Italian opera singer and teacher (1746-1810)
Francisco Goya
1746 · Spanish painter and printmaker (1746–1828)

Fashion

Poor citizens wore cheap cloth slippers

In 18th-century Modena, the poor frequently wore cloth slippers, which were extremely cheap and easily made from scrap materials.

Soldiers' neckcloths indicated their rank

In the Duchy of Modena, soldiers' neckcloths served as rank identifiers, with ordinary soldiers tying them at the back and corporals wearing them with the ends hanging down at the front.

Music

Lenten oratorio performances at San Carlo

During Lent, ordinary people and nobles attended oratorio performances at the San Carlo Rotondo, a central venue for religious music in Modena. These performances were often supported by the Ducal Chapel to strengthen religious and political ties.

Music in streets and squares

Outdoor public events featured brass and percussion musicians who accompanied processions and rituals in streets and squares. These performances blended with the sounds of the crowd, creating a conversational atmosphere shared across different social groups.

Getting around

Travel by foot, mule, or carriage

For most people, travel between towns along the mountainous Via Vandelli was done on foot, horseback, or by mule, while only the flatter Emilian stretch could accommodate carriages. A full journey between Modena and Massa took about one week, even with postal service arrangements.

Around 1741–1741

Carriages amazed local mountain communities

When the first carriage traveled the Apennine route, locals were so amazed they called it a machine or contraption, with some betting it would never succeed. The count inspecting the road even had to occasionally disembark from his carriage for safety on the steepest mountain sections.

Daily life

Education and work for poor children

Religious institutions, such as the local poorhouse, provided basic education for children, which included lessons in reading and writing alongside rigorous work schedules and religious observance. Many children also learned trades by working in city workshops or spinning mills under the guidance of older laborers.

Rural home layout and food storage

Rural homes featured a spacious kitchen that served as the heart of daily life, where families prepared bread, processed pork, and performed household chores. The kitchen was typically south-facing to catch the sun, while cellars were positioned on the north side to keep food cool.

Food

Bread as the common staple food

While nobles enjoyed refined breads, the main daily food for common people was bread made from grain, often in the form of simple, rustic focaccias.

Summer refreshments called latati

During hot summer months, people refreshed themselves with drinks called latati, which were milk-like beverages made from ingredients like lemons, citrons, and almonds.

Prices and wages

Generous daily wine rations

Workers in northern Italy often received significant daily wine rations, sometimes ranging from 1 to over 5 liters, as part of their in-kind compensation.

Around 1750–1774

Cost of game and poultry

In Nice, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia at the time, a capon, a brace of partridges, or a good hare cost 30 sols.

Work

Common jobs in Modena

In the mid-eighteenth century, a large portion of the workforce was employed in the textile and clothing sectors, which accounted for approximately 40% of occupations. Other common roles included food production, metalwork, and leather processing.

Memorable facts of working life

Workers in charitable hospices had to wear a visible license badge and were forbidden from selling their work tools, while city sewer cleaning was specifically performed on rest days when other work was suspended. Artisans serving the court, such as painters and gilders, were frequently observed suffering from occupational health issues caused by materials like mercury.

During their lifetime

1763
Famine in Southern Italy (1763-1767)
A devastating famine occurred in Southern Italy, killing approximately 300,000 people due to starvation and related diseases like typhus. It was caused by extreme weather, poor agricultural practices, and failed food distribution systems.
1766
The 1766 Esquilache Riots
The 1766 Esquilache Riots erupted in Madrid after a royal decree forced men to replace their traditional long capes and broad hats with shorter versions. This protest against reform and high food prices led to the dismissal of the king's minister.
1767
Expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767
King Carlos III ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain and all its territories in 1767. This major religious policy move aimed to subordinate the church to the Bourbon monarchy and reduce its influence.
1771
New Mail Coach Service Established in 1771
In 1771, a mail coach service was established between Madrid, Barcelona, and Cádiz, charging four to five reales per league and promising travel in twenty-one days. This was considered a remarkable speed and comfort for passengers at the time.
1796
French Invasion and Republics (1796)
French armies invaded Italy in 1796, initiating the era of the Italian Republics and ending the old order of the Settecento. This brought new political systems and constitutions that transformed the map of the peninsula.
1799
Anti-Republican Risings (1799)
Popular anti-republican uprisings occurred throughout Italy during the summer and autumn of 1799, reflecting the intense instability following the French invasion and the collapse of the newly formed republican systems.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.