Florence in the Renaissance. In the Medici era, the Signoria intervened in organizing a citizen's funeral
In Florence, in full Medici era , when a citizen died, the Signoria itself intervened in organizing the funeral.
Before the funeral, the deceased, lying on a simple straw mattress, was exposed to those present who intended to offer him the final farewell dressed in a white cheesecloth suit lined with taffeta and a hat without trimmings on his head; if it was a woman, all the rings were removed from her fingers, except the cheap ones.
During the funeral ceremony, two candles or torches or four torches were used; at the end of the event the candles were brought back to the apothecary, to whom the law forbade the sale of more than fifteen pounds a day, and since using them to shed light on the dead was considered a waste, whoever violated the rule had to pay a fine.
Immediately behind the body followed the weeping, whose fabrics of the black dresses worn, just sewn together, were later dismembered and reused.
The announcers of the death and the gravediggers, for their work, they received eight sous; at the funeral dinner instead, it was imperative that there should not be more than two courses.
Finally, the burial took place at the ossuary or, in the case of influential people, in the church ( Source: Jean-Lucas Dubreton, Daily life in Florence at the time of the Medici ).