Prince Weriand, 1st Prince of Windisch-Graetz

What people wore

Sans-culottes wore trousers as a badge of honor

During the French Revolution, working-class men known as sans-culottes distinguished themselves by wearing long trousers instead of the tight knee breeches worn by the nobility.

Getting around

Fast winter mountain descent by sled

Adventurous travelers crossing the Alps at Mont-Cenis in winter could descend into France on a sled in a 15-minute thrill ride called the ramasse. The sleds were guided by a conductor who steered the craft down the snowy slopes at high speed.

At the table

Bread Rationing During the Revolution

During the Revolution, bread was rationed and sold for 14 sous per 60 grams, often of such poor quality that even sheepdogs would refuse to eat it.

Music

Wind instruments dominated outdoor civic festivals

Wind instruments, especially the bassoon-serpent, were highly prized for outdoor festivities and civic celebrations because they were loud enough to be heard by large crowds. During the Revolution, the government promoted powerful patriotic hymns like La Marseillaise, often played by wind ensembles to help mobilize and unify citizens.

Daily life

Simple peasant housing

Most peasant homes were single-room structures built of mud with thatched roofs, lacking ceilings and window glass.

What it cost

The high cost of footwear

Heavy taxes on leather made shoes very expensive, often forcing poor peasants to own only one pair for their entire lives or rely on wooden shoes. A pair of wooden shoes cost 9 sous 6 deniers in the countryside in 1790.