Maria Anna Caroline of Bavaria

What people wore

Evolution of clothing materials and styles

During the late 17th century in the region, men's clothing primarily consisted of heavy, durable fabrics, whereas women's fashion began to change more rapidly with the emergence of the dress as a distinct garment.

Daily life

Portable cooking stoves and tools

Households used metal komforen, portable stoves filled with glowing coals, for heating and as a cooking device. These allowed the transition toward frying and roasting food, which required pots and pans with flat bottoms.

Work

Long working days from dawn to dusk

Working days were long, typically starting at 5 am in summer or 6 am in winter and lasting until 8 pm, with only short breaks.

Music

Christmas carols in church

During Christmas, churches performed Cantiones Natalitiae, polyphonic motets in Dutch or Latin that featured pastoral themes, such as shepherds playing bagpipes and flutes for the newborn Jesus.

At the table

Beer as the daily beverage

Beer was the standard drink for all, with records from Zichem indicating an estimated annual consumption of 456 liters per person. It was considered safer and healthier than water, which was often contaminated.

Getting around

The popular and comfortable horse-drawn barge

The trekschuit (or barge), a horse-drawn boat, was the most common, reliable, and comfortable way for ordinary people to travel between towns, often featuring separate cabins like the roef for those willing to pay more.

What it cost

Food prices in the 17th century

A pig cost 24 livres, while a bushel of red wheat was priced at 47 sous in the 17th century.