Countess Palatine Elisabeth Auguste Sofie of Neuburg

At the table

Mushrooms as a Common Food Source

People frequently ate mushrooms gathered in forests, including species growing on trees that were dried for preservation. While travelers from France were afraid to eat these due to fear of poisoning, they were a common and accepted food source in Poland.

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

Magnate processions traveled slowly to show wealth

Magnates traveled in grand processions with dozens of wagons and hundreds of horses to display their wealth and status. The travel pace for such a group was typically around 25 to 30 kilometers per day.

What it cost

Wages for Workers in 17th Century Warsaw

An ordinary worker in Warsaw earned 3 to 4 grosze per day, while a bricklayer, considered elite, could earn up to 16 grosze daily.

Music

Bagpipes at Inns and Festivals

Bagpipes were popular instruments at inns and festivities, where they provided music for dances enjoyed by peasants, the lower bourgeoisie, and even members of the gentry.

Daily life

Memorable costs of spirits and meat

Brandy, known as grzolka, was so popular that one merchant in Zolkiew paid 3,000 Reichsthaler for the exclusive annual license to distill it for the town and surrounding villages. In Mlava, 80 pounds of good beef could be purchased for only one Reichsthaler.