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Catherine of Guise

1585 – Paris, 8 Mar 1618

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1585

    Born

  2. 1609–1616

    3 children are born

  3. 8 Mar 1618

    Dies in Paris

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 3

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1580s · Catherine is born

In the news1562–1592

Recurring subsistence crises

During the wars, periodic subsistence crises occurred in 1562–1563, 1565–1566, 1573–1574, 1586–1587, and 1590–1592, causing high prices and food shortages.

At the table

Preference for fermented drinks

Because water was considered unhealthy, common people preferred drinking wine, beer, or cider.

What people wore

A 1586 Parisian servant girl's costume

A Parisian servant girl in 1586 wore a blouse with a high collar and a red bodice laced at the front and trimmed with black velvet.

Getting around

Common travel methods in late 16th century

Travelers typically walked, rode horses or mules, or used rare public carriages operated by universities. Roads were often unmaintained and lacked suspension, making travel in heavy carts uncomfortable and slow.

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

Sounds of daily life and festivals

While church music was restricted, bells rhythmically marked daily life, and loud instruments like oboes and bagpipes were used for village festivals and celebrations.

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.