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Catherine de Bourbon

Paris, 17 Feb 1559 – Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, 13 Feb 1604

11 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 17 Feb 1559

    Born in Paris

  2. 13 Feb 1604

    Dies in Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, aged 44

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Paris.

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

The 1550s · Catherine is born in Paris

In the news1545–1552

Plague epidemics devastate the region

Between 1545 and 1552, plague outbreaks caused extreme hardship, leading to deserted towns and citizens walling up infected homes.

At the table

Wine was preferred over water

Because water was considered unhealthy, most people drank fermented beverages like wine, which was often diluted with water. Women were expected to drink less alcohol than men, and their consumption of wine was sometimes cut heavily with water to prevent intoxication.

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.

Getting around

Coaches were extremely rare in 1550

In 1550, there were only three enclosed and suspended coaches in all of Paris, one of which belonged to the Queen of Francis I.

What it cost

Cost of shoes

The cost of shoemaking, specifically a pair of shoes, ranged from 0.6 to 1.34 sols tournois during the 16th century.

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.

Daily life

Segregated elementary schooling

While private tutors served noble families, elementary schools for others were church-run and segregated by gender; a 1554 decree specifically prohibited boys and girls from studying together.