Marguerite de Roussillon

What people wore

Heavy Fines for Illegal Fashion Choices

In some Italian cities, violating sumptuary laws by wearing forbidden luxurious clothing could result in a heavy fine of 25 scudi.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Savoy towns

Towns such as Chambery and Montmelian paid schoolmasters, supported by ecclesiastical institutions or private patronage.

News and letters

Price of sending private letters

Private letters could be sent for 7-9 Milanese soldi per ounce, a price comparable to the cost of buying three or four loaves of bread.

Music

The Popular Pavane Dance

The solemn, slow-moving pavane was a popular dance used by nobles for grand entries and festivities, often accompanied by drums, oboes, trombones, and violins.

What it cost

Cost of basic goods

A pair of shoes typically cost between 2 and 6 sous, while a bushel of wheat was priced at 4 sous.

Getting around

Travel was primarily on foot

For the vast majority of people in the Duchy of Savoy, traveling meant going on foot, as they lacked the means for other forms of transport.

Work

Common trades and dual employment

Common jobs included construction workers like masons, stonecutters, and carpenters, as well as domestic servants and daily laborers working in trades, commerce, or agriculture. Urban residents often pursued a double activity, maintaining small plots of land near the city alongside their main trade.