Francis III

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.

Daily life

Home lighting and water collection

Common dwellings featured floors of beaten earth covered with straw, and interiors were lighted by doors or small, unglazed windows. Water was a heavy burden to collect, with women often carrying it in jugs from distant sources for household use.

Work

Female roles at the Nancy Mint

At the Nancy Mint, female workers known as tailleresses were specifically employed to trim excess metal from coin blanks to ensure they reached the correct weight. This task was frequently performed by the wives or daughters of the male minters.

Music

Chapel choir life and rewards

The Duke's chapel choristers at Saint-Georges received an annual salary of 96 francs, a well-paid position at the time. On Saint Cecilia's Day, children of the choir were treated with distributions of small pastries.

At the table

Diet of poor vs. wealthy peasants

While wealthier peasants had access to various meats and fruits, poorer families primarily relied on a basic diet of soup, bread, and cheese. They often drank a local beverage known as picotte instead of wine.

Getting around

Travel by foot and pack animals

Ordinary travelers, including artisans and merchants, typically traveled on foot or used pack animals like horses, asses, and mules because carts frequently became stuck in mud on the roads.

What it cost

Glazier's annual wages in 1511

In 1511, Nicolas Graxien, a glazier for the ducal household in Nancy, received an annual wage of 8 francs and 8 measures of grain.