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Francis, Duke of Anjou

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 28 Mar 1555 – Château-Thierry, 1584

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born28 Mar 1555, Saint-Germain-en-Layenot verified1 source
  • TitleDuke of Anjounot verified1 source
  • Died1584, Château-ThierryRecords disagree1 source
  • FatherHenry II of Francenot verified1 source
  • MotherCatherine de' Medicinot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 28 Mar 1555

    Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye

  2. 1584

    Dies in Château-Thierry

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

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

The 1550s · Francis, is born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye

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

Regulated prices for bread and wine

In 1550, the price of food in Valence was officially regulated, with white bread costing 7 mailles per pound and black bread costing 5 mailles per pound. Wine was also a daily drink, with local black or red wine priced at 6 deniers per pot.

What people wore

Servant girl's market clothing

A servant girl in Paris in 1586 wore a bonnet covered with a long cloth hood and a bodice that was laced at the front and trimmed with black velvet.

Getting around

Royal travel took weeks to complete

A royal court journey from Paris to Chambord could take three weeks because the procession included thousands of people, animals, and entire households.

What it cost

Agricultural worker daily wage

By 1550, an agricultural worker earned 1 livre per day.

Music

Rise of amateur home music

While professional musicians were hired for major events, amateur music-making at home became popular among the nobility and bourgeoisie, supported by the growth of music publishing and the use of tablatures.

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.