Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard

At the table

Meat was rare for the poor

Meat was rare in the diets of the poor, who consumed very little due to high costs and limited preservation methods caused by salt shortages.

What people wore

Standard peasant wear in Saumur region

A 16th-century peasant from the Saumur region wore a felt hat with a turned-down brim, a sayon tunic to the mid-thigh, a blue jerkin, and a country-style coat called a balandras.

Getting around

Travel speeds and horse relays

Early public carriages were slow, covering only about 48 kilometers in a day. Wealthy travelers or officials could pay to use the royal horse relay system to travel at a much faster gallop.

What it cost

Daily wages for laborers

In the period 1571–1575, a laborer earned approximately 5.87 sols tournois per day, while in 1594–1598 the wage was about 6.8 sols tournois per day.

Music

One-man band instruments for dancing

For informal settings, many people used the pipe and tabor, as a single musician could play both instruments simultaneously to accompany dancing.

Daily life

Strict education and large families

Education in bourgeois families was strict, and children were often punished with a whip for petty offenses or bad language. Families were large, typically consisting of four to ten children who were taught to uphold family duties.