Anna Jagiellon

What people wore

Layered clothing of the middle class

Women wore a long linen undergarment called a giezło, often topped with a dress that was laced at the sides, while men wore linen shirts and shorts known as gacie. Household tools like keys, purses, and needle cases were often attached to a woman's belt.

Daily life

Modest wooden homes with open fires

Peasant families lived in modest wooden houses that usually consisted of a single room containing a stove for heating and cooking. Some households in Samogitia used a traditional 'numas' structure, which featured an open fireplace instead of a stove.

Work

The Role of Landless Labourers

Landless workers known as zagrodnicy held small plots and served the manor by providing manual labour on foot. In some areas, a single day of their labour service was valued at approximately half a mark, or 24 groszy.

Music

Performers in city inns

In the 16th century, musicians called igrcy sang lighthearted and sometimes ribald songs in city inns, which were heavily criticized and discouraged by the clergy.

At the table

Daily meat consumption

An average laborer on a Polish manor consumed approximately 300g of fatty meat every day.

Getting around

Difficult conditions for travelers and inns

Roads were often in poor condition, and finding suitable overnight shelter was difficult, with some inns described as being little better than a cattle-shed.

What it cost

Purchasing power of weekly wages

For one week's wages, a laborer could purchase approximately 100 liters of beer or a pair of shoes, which cost 7 to 8 grossi.