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Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême

Barraux, 28 Apr 1573 – Paris, 24 Sep 1650

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born28 Apr 1573, Barrauxor 18 May 1573Records disagree1 source
  • Titleambassador of France to Austriaor Grand prior of Francenot verified1 source
  • TitleGrand prior of Franceor ambassador of France to Austrianot verified1 source
  • Died24 Sep 1650, Parisor 29 Sep 1650Records disagree1 source
  • FatherCharles IX of Francenot verified1 source
  • MotherMarie Touchetnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 28 Apr 1573

    Born in Barraux

  2. 24 Sep 1650

    Dies in Paris, aged 77

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Barraux.

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

The 1570s · Charles is born in Barraux

In the news1572

St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, a violent event in Paris in 1572, resulted in significant deaths and intensified the religious conflicts.

Getting around

Travel speeds and horse relays

Early public carriages were slow, covering only about 48 kilometers in a day. Wealthy travelers or officials could pay to use the royal horse relay system to travel at a much faster gallop.

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.

Daily life

Common dining habits and wine consumption

People generally ate from trenchers—plates made of wood, metal, or bread—as forks were rare in popular classes and only slowly adopted by the nobility. To drink, wine was almost always diluted with water because it was considered too heavy and thick.

What people wore

Servant girl's market clothing

A servant girl in Paris in 1586 wore a bonnet covered with a long cloth hood and a bodice that was laced at the front and trimmed with black velvet.

Music

Weekly court balls and dances

At the French court under Henry III, balls were held at least twice a week, featuring dances such as the pavane, the dynamic gaillarde, and the volte, where the dancer helped his partner perform an aerial leap.

At the table

Bread and soup as staples

Ordinary families relied on grain-based foods, with bread and soups made of bread soaked in broth, water, or vegetable mixtures providing up to 80 percent of daily calories.