Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena

Ercole III d'Este was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1780 to 1796, and later of Breisgau. He was a member of the House of Este.

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.

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.

Changing transport for mountain crossings

Traveling through the Alps meant changing modes of transport, as carriages could not cross the mountain passes; travelers often had to switch to mules or litters.

Most common travel was on foot

For most people in the Duchy of Savoy, the most common way to travel between towns was on foot.

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.

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.

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.

Controlled bread prices and production

City authorities in Turin strictly regulated the bread market, setting prices based on the cost of wheat and using official baking tests to determine production costs.

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.

Massive personal letter archive in Modena

The scholar Lodovico Antonio Muratori maintained an extensive archive in Modena containing over 20,000 incoming letters from correspondents across Italy and Europe. These personal exchanges were essential for maintaining his vital cultural and political network during the first half of the 1700s.

Weekly news delivered by postal couriers

News of events in distant cities arrived in Modena weekly via postal couriers, who carried letters and reports that were often printed as newsletters. These documents were meticulously dated and labeled with their city of origin to organize the information.