François de Balzac, Seigneur d'Entragues

What it cost

Meat prices from 1540 to 1549

Between 1540 and 1549, the average price of a pound of beef in the region was 5.5/6 deniers stebler, while veal and mutton cost 5.5/12 deniers stebler per pound.

What people wore

Class-based clothing restrictions

Sumptuary laws in 1549 restricted the middle class from wearing velvet except on petticoats or sleeves, while artisans and peasants were forbidden from wearing velvet or silk entirely.

Daily life

Typical Lorraine Home Layout and Facilities

Lorraine homes of this period typically featured a central hallway, a windowless kitchen with a floor-level fire, and a single heated bedroom for the family. Livestock were often sheltered within the same building, and the attic served as a hayloft.

Work

Guild fees and hereditary membership

Craft guilds in the region required masters to pay a fee, known as the right of hart, to gain a monopoly, and membership often tended to become hereditary.

Getting around

Slow and uncomfortable carriage travel

Wheeled carriages were used, though they were often uncomfortable and slow as they lacked advanced suspension systems before the late 16th-century development of swaying carriages.

At the table

Diet of poor vs. wealthy peasants

While wealthier peasants had access to various meats and fruits, poorer families primarily relied on a basic diet of soup, bread, and cheese. They often drank a local beverage known as picotte instead of wine.