Eleonora Gonzaga

At the table

Common Staples: Porridge and Bread

The daily diet of ordinary families centered on cereal-based porridges made of oats, millet, or barley, often prepared with water, milk, or lard. Bread, typically made from rye or oats, was another primary staple, sometimes baked into durable flatbreads that could be softened with water.

What people wore

Artisans Kept Festive Clothes in Chests

Artisan families often owned a modest wardrobe, such as two or three sets of clothes kept in chests, including fine garments reserved for Sundays and festive occasions.

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.

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.

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.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Savoy towns

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