Archduchess Marie Christine of Austria

What people wore

Everyday versus festive fabric quality

Ordinary people in Tyrol distinguished between everyday and feast day attire by the quality of the fabric, wearing blouses made of coarse linen for daily work and finer linen for holidays.

Getting around

Travel times by carriage in the 1700s

In the 18th century, a 30-kilometer trip between St. Pölten and Melk took 5 to 7 hours, while a 115-kilometer journey to St. Florian took 20 to 28 hours.

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary people

Ordinary people rarely ate meat and relied instead on flour-based dishes, legumes like peas, beans, and lentils, and porridges made from millet, oats, or barley.

Music

Ceremonial Brass and Percussion Instruments

Trumpets and timpani were essential instruments used for state ceremonies, church processions, and official announcements, often serving to capture public attention in city squares.

Daily life

Shared urban living in cramped quarters

For ordinary residents, homes were often cramped rented rooms in multi-story buildings where daily tasks like cooking, sleeping, and working were all performed in the same limited space. Families relied on neighborhood wells and fountains for water and had to manage heating through tiled stoves that required constant attention.

Work

Combining multiple occupations for survival

Workers often combined multiple jobs, such as bricklaying in summer and weaving in winter, or day-laboring alongside small-scale farming.