Henri de Saint-Rémi

At the table

Bread and soup were dietary staples

Ordinary families based their daily diet on bread, often eaten as soup by soaking pieces in water or bouillon, alongside cereal porridges or cakes. This was frequently accompanied by a companage, which was a variety of accessible foods like vegetables, legumes, cheese, or eggs.

What people wore

Wine seller's attire in 1586

A 16th-century French wine seller wore a red-trimmed felt hat and a loose jacket gathered at the waist by a leather belt with a hanging money bag.

Getting around

Common ways of traveling during the Renaissance

Until the mid-16th century, common travel methods included walking, riding a mule, or, for the wealthy, riding a horse.

What it cost

Agricultural worker daily wage

By 1550, an agricultural worker earned 1 livre per day.

Music

Rise of amateur home music

While professional musicians were hired for major events, amateur music-making at home became popular among the nobility and bourgeoisie, supported by the growth of music publishing and the use of tablatures.

Daily life

Tall and narrow city housing

Ordinary Paris houses were tall, narrow structures of four or five stories, built with stone foundations, exposed wooden frames, and white plaster facades to prevent fires.