Arranaged marriages & dowries

[scraig32]

I am trying to piece together all the information I have learned over the years about my Sicilian family. I would like to creat a narrative of sorts of what their life was like. Any historical help or insights are greatly appreciated!

My 3x great grandparents were arranged. The family story goes that my 3x great grandfather was a baron in Santa Ninfa. The family ran out of money (I don’t know why?) and thus the family arranged for him to marrry a rich girl from Palermo. Both the bride’s parents were deceased.The wedding took place in Palermo in 1839. The groom was 8 years older then the bride. The married couple lived in Palermo for several years before moving to the family (groom’s) “castle” in Santa Ninfa. Would anyone be able to give me any insight as to why the couple was married in Palermo? Was it typical to get married in the bride’s hometown? Also,why would they live in Palermo? Was it perhaps because the “rich” bride gave a home in Palermo as part of her dowry? Who would have arranged the marriage if the bride’s parents were deceased?

[Tessa78]

Here is an earlier post for reference... so as not to duplicate efforts.

Pippo provides extensive explanation.

https://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/ ... hilit=1839

T.

[scraig32]

Thank you!