Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

What people wore

Essential Women's Clothing

Urban working women typically wore a five-item ensemble: a top (casaquin or corset), a skirt (jupe or jupon), an apron for work, a shawl or neckerchief, and a cloak for cold weather.

Daily life

Water meant trips to sources

In Paris, water was commonly hauled or bought, and shared stairwells/courtyards were practical places for water carrying, storage, and laundry.

Work

A Typical Working Day

The workday was long and dictated by daylight, often lasting 11 to 15 hours and starting as early as 5 a.m. Workers in cities relied on church bells for time, as watches were expensive, while night travel and work were limited by darkness and the high cost of candles.

Music

Sunday Dancing and the Pipe and Tabor

In the late 17th century, peasants often enjoyed dancing to the pipe and tabor on the Sabbath, an amusement that was sometimes tolerated by church officials as a necessary relief from a week of hard labor.

At the table

Daily Bread Consumption Requirements

To meet daily calorie needs, men typically consumed three pounds of bread per day, while women consumed two pounds and children one pound.

Getting around

Walking as common travel

Ordinary people, such as peddlers and pilgrims, typically traveled on foot at a pace of 20 to 30 kilometers per day. Walking was so common that travelers frequently wore out a pair of shoes every 15 days.

What it cost

Cost of shoes and bread

A servant paid 10 livres and 5 sous for a new pair of shoes in May 1703, while bread prices fluctuated significantly, such as when he paid 7 livres 9 sous 9 deniers for bread in May 1705.