Lorenzo de' Medici

What people wore

Artisans Kept Festive Clothes in Chests

Artisan families often owned a modest wardrobe, such as two or three sets of clothes kept in chests, including fine garments reserved for Sundays and festive occasions.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Savoy towns

Towns such as Chambery and Montmelian paid schoolmasters, supported by ecclesiastical institutions or private patronage.

News and letters

Price of sending private letters

Private letters could be sent for 7-9 Milanese soldi per ounce, a price comparable to the cost of buying three or four loaves of bread.

Music

The Popular Pavane Dance

The solemn, slow-moving pavane was a popular dance used by nobles for grand entries and festivities, often accompanied by drums, oboes, trombones, and violins.

What it cost

Cost of basic goods

A pair of shoes typically cost between 2 and 6 sous, while a bushel of wheat was priced at 4 sous.

Getting around

Travel was primarily on foot

For the vast majority of people in the Duchy of Savoy, traveling meant going on foot, as they lacked the means for other forms of transport.

Work

Daily and weekly work rhythms

The working day was dictated by natural light and urban gate times, typically starting at 4:00 AM when city gates opened and ending around 8:00 PM. Weekly rhythms were organized by market days, religious observances, and the cycles of bakers' ovens and slaughterhouses.