Agnes Le Louchier

At the table

The vital role of stale bread soup

Common people ate large, dark loaves of bread that were often kept for one to three weeks before being consumed. To make the stale bread edible, it was soaked in soup, a practice so common that the dish itself became known as soup.

What people wore

Women's daily and festive attire

Women were corseted and wore a chemise under a short skirt, often with an apron; their clothing was dominated by black, gray, and red colors. On feast days, they would wear a fine cloth dress.

Getting around

Canal travel by horse-drawn barge

Horse-drawn barges on canals were a primary means of passenger transport in Flanders, moving between cities like Bruges and Ostend. Travelers often had to transfer between different boats at canal locks along the way.

What it cost

Food prices in the 17th century

A pig cost 24 livres, while a bushel of red wheat was priced at 47 sous in the 17th century.

Music

Portable violin for dance lessons

Dancing masters used a pochette, a small boat-shaped violin, which could be easily carried in a pocket to provide home lessons.

Daily life

Cooking centered on the hearth

Cooking was typically done over a hearth, which also provided heat, though some poor urban dwellers without space or fuel relied on purchasing ready-made food from street shops.