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Tadea of Austria

1523–?

Born
1523, Bologna
Country of birth
Papal States, today Italy
Died
Rome
facts
7
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Bologna

    Birth, Bologna

What was it like?

The world around Bologna, 1523: 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.

In April 1511, some winter garments were so voluminous that they required up to 35 braccia of fabric, making them so heavy that they were difficult to wear.

Fashion

Extreme fabric usage in winter garments

In April 1511, some winter garments were so voluminous that they required up to 35 braccia of fabric, making them so heavy that they were difficult to wear.

Lavish gift of a priestly vestment

In 1514, a diplomatic gift to the Pope included a priestly vestment embroidered with pearls and precious stones, valued at over 25,000 ducats.

Music

Domestic Instruments and Decorated Keyboards

By the mid-16th century, musical instruments like lutes, harpsichords, and spinets were found in households of various social levels, from noble families to barbers and merchants. Owners often decorated their keyboard instruments with mottoes such as There is dancing when I sing.

Popular Carnival Songs and Street Performances

Ordinary people in Florence during the early 16th century enjoyed carnival songs, which were popular secular tunes performed during processions, parades, and street revelry. These songs often featured witty texts about trade guilds or products, such as the Song of the Chimney Sweepers, and were sung by costumed groups.

Getting around

Mountain travel time to Bologna

Travel between Florence and Bologna through the Apennine passes on horseback or mule typically took two to three days.

Transport via pack animals and ox carts

In the 16th century, mountain road transport was done entirely by pack animals, while carts pulled by oxen were only used on flat roads with rudimentary paving.

Daily life

Dining arrangements in the home

Florentine homes lacked dedicated dining rooms; instead, tables were set up wherever convenient, such as in front of a fireplace during winter. Food was passed to diners who sat only on one side of the table.

Practical schooling and early childhood guidance

Merchant children attended abacus schools that taught reading, writing, and arithmetic in a practical way specifically for trade. By age four or five, play toys like swords and hobby horses were used to direct children toward their future societal roles.

Food

Daily meal schedule for the poor

The poor consumed three scarce daily meals: bread soaked in wine upon waking, lunch around eleven, and dinner after sunset.

Meat reserved for special celebrations

Meat was reserved for special occasions like holidays, and when a family slaughtered a pig, they typically offered blood sausage to neighbors as a gesture of friendship.

Prices and wages

Cost of footwear

While basic shoes were affordable at around 2 soldi, a pair of nice shoes could cost as much as 2 florins, equivalent to about 140 soldi.

Food costs and extreme shortages

Food prices fluctuated greatly, with meat like veal costing 3 soldi per pound in stable times, but skyrocketing during shortages when even mice were sometimes sold as food.

Work

Common Jobs in the Wool Industry

The wool industry was the primary employer in Florence, relying on many unskilled laborers known as the Ciompi who prepared raw wool in merchant-owned workshops. Other common roles included silk production, construction, and various specialized artisanal trades.

Festive Kingdoms and Social Exclusion

Lower-class workers formed festive groups called potenze to reclaim social status, where they elected their own kings and turned their districts into mock kingdoms during holidays like May Day. Additionally, the Wool Guild once funded the massive Cathedral project, yet the subordinate wool-beaters who did the actual work remained excluded from guild politics.

News and letters

Methods for sending letters

For short distances, people sent letters via acquaintances or passing carters, while merchants often hired innkeepers to manage regular courier services.

Speed of postal delivery

Regular couriers typically traveled on foot or horseback, covering about 60 to 70 kilometers per day, while those needing faster delivery could pay extra for a dedicated courier.

During their lifetime

  1. 1527

    Plague epidemic in 1527

    A plague epidemic struck Florence in 1527, causing significant fear and hardship among the population.

  2. 1530

    Florence surrenders in 1530

    After a long siege, Florence surrendered in 1530 and was forced to pay 80,000 scudi in war damages.

  3. 1532

    Establishment of the Duchy of Florence, 1532

    In 1532, the Republic of Florence was formally abolished, and the Duchy of Florence was established under the rule of Alessandro de' Medici.

  4. 1538

    New tax imposed in 1538

    In 1538, a new tax of 7% was imposed on artisans and citizens to help manage the state's finances.

  5. 1561

    Mandatory salt tax introduced

    In 1561, the Duke imposed a mandatory salt tax requiring every person to purchase about 11.4 kilograms of salt annually, with the poor exempted.

  6. 1562

    Capital moved to Turin

    The capital of the Duchy was transferred from Chambéry to Turin in 1562, leading to the eventual marginalization of the Savoyard lands.

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.