Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans

Getting around

Travelers on foot wore out shoes quickly

Ordinary people frequently traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day, which meant they wore out a pair of shoes every two weeks.

Daily life

Water access and sanitation challenges

Water in cities was often fetched from public wells or carried from the river, and because Seine water was polluted by waste, aqueducts were increasingly used to bring cleaner spring water to public fountains. Modest households managed sanitation manually, often relying on daily routines to dispose of refuse and chamber pots.

What people wore

Clothing for feast days vs daily life

Common villagers typically wore the same basic garments daily, while the more prosperous members of the community had specific outfits reserved for Sundays and feast days.

Music

Court ballet and street performance culture

The ballet de cour featured masked performers in elaborate costumes, with dances often organized around complex themes from mythology or daily life. These courtly performances influenced the repertoire of street singers, who adapted elite airs for wider public audiences.

At the table

Stale bread soaked in soup

Ordinary families relied heavily on a bread-based diet, often consuming stale loaves by soaking them in liquid to make soup. Because bread was baked in large batches to last weeks, it was kept dense and sturdy.