Jacqueline de Longwy

At the table

Daily Bread, Porridge, and Soup

Ordinary Lorrainers typically ate one to two pounds of bread daily, often supplementing it with soup, porridge made from grain cooked in lard, and cheese. Vegetables like legumes were dietary staples, while meat was primarily consumed as boiled soup meat.

What people wore

Essential tool pouches on belts

Peasant men wore belts with pouches to carry essential tools, such as sharpening stones or sewing implements.

Getting around

Slow and uncomfortable carriage travel

Wheeled carriages were used, though they were often uncomfortable and slow as they lacked advanced suspension systems before the late 16th-century development of swaying carriages.

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

Popular Morisque dance at court

At the ducal court, the Morisque was a popular dance performed by costumed men and women, especially during the carnival season. In 1521, Duke Antoine granted thirty francs to performers to help pay for their elaborate dance costumes.

Daily life

Cooking over an open fire

Families cooked pottage or porridge all day in iron or brass kettles over a central fire on a stone hearth. To keep the smoke from filling the room, some homes used a conical hood or funnel to vent the fire toward the roof.