Elisabeth of Austria

What people wore

Cloth functioned as valuable currency

In the 16th century, cloth was so valuable that it was often used as a form of currency to pay workers. Because clothing was expensive, it was rarely discarded and instead circulated through society via pawning, second-hand markets, and inheritance.

Daily life

Dark and smoky homes

Homes were dark, cold, and smoky, often featuring very small windows that provided little daylight and lacking chimneys for the open fires used for cooking.

Work

Daily Distances Covered by Messengers

Foot messengers typically traveled 25 to 40 kilometres a day, while elite runners could cover over 60 kilometres in the same time.

Music

Instruments for Civic Parties

Instruments depicted at a 1522 civic garden party included shawms, bombards, slide trumpets, lutes, flutes, bagpipes, and large drums. These ensembles were common for dance music in urban settings.

At the table

Weekly routine of peasant meals

In rural areas, families frequently followed a set weekly schedule, such as Monday for dumplings, Tuesday for noodles, and Wednesday for strudels. Friday and Saturday were designated fast days in accordance with religious tradition.

Getting around

Travel by horse or donkey

While wealthy individuals traveled on horseback, those wishing to show humility often chose to ride a donkey.

What it cost

Vienna wages and food prices in 1549

By 1549, the daily wage for a worker in Vienna was 6 Kreuzer, with bread costing 0.67 Kreuzer per kilogram and beef costing 2.68 Kreuzer per kilogram.