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Christina of Lorraine

Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, 26 Aug 1565 – Florence, 19 Dec 1637

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 26 Aug 1565

    Born in Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine

  2. 1590–1604

    8 children are born

  3. 19 Dec 1637

    Dies in Florence, aged 72

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 8

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1560s · Christina is born in Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine

In the news1562–1592

Recurring subsistence crises

During the wars, periodic subsistence crises occurred in 1562–1563, 1565–1566, 1573–1574, 1586–1587, and 1590–1592, causing high prices and food shortages.

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.

In the news1561

Mandatory salt tax introduced

In 1561, the Duke imposed a mandatory salt tax requiring every person to purchase about 11.4 kilograms of salt annually, with the poor exempted.

Daily life

Unreliable street lighting

Nighttime lighting in Paris was unreliable, as official decrees requiring citizens to hang lanterns outside their homes were rarely followed due to a lack of funding and enforcement.

What people wore

Shepherdess attire in Anjou

A shepherdess from Anjou wore a cloth bonnet with a raised crown, a blouse with a fluted collar, a blue bodice, braces, and a woollen skirt.

Music

Instruments classified by volume

In the 16th century, instruments were classified by volume: loud instruments like oboes, trumpets, and sackbuts were for outdoor festivals, while quiet instruments like lutes, viols, and spinets were for intimate indoor use.

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.