Joanna Katarzyna Radziwiłł

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary families

Rye bread, groats, and peas formed the staple diet of ordinary households, often supplemented by dairy, fat, and vegetables from home gardens.

What people wore

Valuable Noblewoman's Clothing

Seventeenth-century noblewomen's wills show that items like fur-lined coats, velvet dresses, and specific headgear such as caps and wimples were vital assets, sometimes valued higher than silver or jewelry.

Getting around

Common travel methods and daily speeds

Ordinary people traveled mainly on foot, covering 20–25 km per day, or by horse-drawn carts at 25–30 km per day. Noblemen typically traveled on horseback to show their status, achieving 30–40 km per day.

What it cost

Rapidly rising livestock prices

At the beginning of the 17th century, the price of an ox rose rapidly, starting at around 300 grosz in 1600 and tripling over the next 30 years.

Music

Forgotten songs and dances found in manuscripts

A 17th-century manuscript discovered inside a religious book revealed over 200 long-forgotten songs and dances, including pieces like the Polonez and the Bergamask-style Pagamoszka.

Daily life

Cooking methods and food preservation

Cooking was a labor-intensive task using pots with three legs placed over fires or suspended cauldrons, while salt was a vital commodity for preserving meat and fish stored in barrels. Households often relied on hand mills to grind their own grain between stones to prepare bread and dishes.