Marie Louise d'Orléans

At the table

Bread as the Foundation of Daily Meals

Bread was the staple of the ordinary diet, often eaten as "soup" by soaking slices in a liquid like water, broth, or vegetable potage. These large, dense loaves were baked to last for one or two weeks at a time.

What people wore

Sunday best for villagers

Ordinary villagers often wore the same daily clothes, while the wealthier among them changed into better garments specifically for Sundays and feast days.

Getting around

Long travel times between cities

Travel between major French cities was slow; for example, the journey from Bordeaux to Paris took fifteen days in 1660.

What it cost

Cost of pigs and wood in 17th century

In the 17th century, a single pig could cost approximately 24 livres, while a cart of wood was valued at 11 livres.

Music

Street music and peasant dances

Street singers adapted popular court and opera melodies for public performance, while rural peasants often danced to the pipe and tabor during Sunday rest. Officials sometimes defended these peasant dances as innocent amusement after a week of hard labor.

Daily life

Children were sent to school

Household rules expected servants to wake and feed children and ensure they went off to school.