(Repost from anamericaninrome.com) File this under things you learn during a lockdown: The word “quarantine” comes from the Italian word quaranta – forty. It is a term that was initially used to refer to ships that were kept at sea to ensure that there was no disease aboard. The policy of “quarantine” was first used … More The Italian Origins of “Quarantine”
The spread of the Covid-19 virus has triggered an epidemic of advice. This advice is important, but it seems destined to make our lives more miserable and isolated. However, there is an unusual source of counsel which offers another way to deal with an epidemic. That source is the Decameron. The Italian Renaissance author Giovanni Boccaccio wrote the Decameron in … More Surviving the Corona Virus: Medieval Italian Style
So much planned for my fellow living history enthusiasts!! Our living google document schedule is here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PYlHs9f94j69KIY6rSHCPCGAHHiFPiLJN_FUEdSC2PE/edit?usp=sharing
Reblogged from MissPen Aristocratic Daughters We think of nuns as living a secluded life, peacefully going about their daily prayers and rituals. However, at the threshold of the Italian Renaissance, the life of a nun offered a creative solution to women who wanted to pursue interests outside of keeping a home and raising children. For … More Phenomenal Women
Queste sono cose che le donne e gli uomini del trecento usavanno quotadianamente per igiene e cosmetici. Prima, per pulire il viso, utilizzare questo. – Crema Galeni (2 ° / 12 c) – olio d’oliva, cera d’Api, acqua di rose, aceto bianco infuso con rose. (Da Hildegard Bingen et al). Poi per sbiancare il volto, … More Cosmetics and Hygiene Information from De Ornatu Mulierum – Cosmetici e Igiene da Trotula di Salerno
How do you wind your thread around you replica bobbin? Comment below!! Reblog from Medieval Silkwork Blog at http://www.medievalsilkwork.com/2009/04/winding-up-part-ii.html ******************************************************************** I’ve made it a point to assemble a period sewing kit, which includes a few types of bobbin for thread. When taking the thread off of the paper bobbin they come with, I’ve found it a … More Winding Thread the Renaissance Way
I’ve been experimenting with some of the recipes in the Trotula, a manuscript on women’s medicine that originates from the 12th century, but was copied and used the following centuries. It contains recipes for beauty, hygiene and health. My favorite is recipe #248: “When she combs her hair, let her have this … More 12th-Century Hair Cleanser from Salerno
So, you want to assemble a sewing kit for your Italian Peninsula persona? This is a guide to doing so with sources to point you in the right direction for your place and time. Remember, many things were similar on the peninsula but each city was its own autonomous region with its own dialect … More 14th to 15th Century Sewing Kit for La Bella Donna
In living history, we tend to choose, recreate, and portray the highlights of life in the past. Here is just some food for thought about how it really would have been to live there for women who couldn’t just pick and choose which experience they wanted to have. Written by Alexandra Korey Anytime any of … More Being a Woman in Renaissance Italy
A page from the Zibaldone da Venice, a 14th-century hodgepodge. (Image: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library) ONE DAY IN VENICE, SOMETIME near the end of the 14th century, a busy merchant found himself with a few spare moments. Maybe it was a slow day at the docks, or he arrived home too early for dinner. … More Zibaldone – A 14th Century Tumblr?
La Bella Donna 