Eleonora Gonzaga

At the table

Common Staples: Porridge and Bread

The daily diet of ordinary families centered on cereal-based porridges made of oats, millet, or barley, often prepared with water, milk, or lard. Bread, typically made from rye or oats, was another primary staple, sometimes baked into durable flatbreads that could be softened with water.

What people wore

Ordinary People Wore Fashionable Silk Garments

Ordinary people, including shoemakers and tailors, often wore fashionable items like silk breeches, velvet berets, and garments decorated with silk ribbons, sometimes defying strict sumptuary laws.

Getting around

Carriages required extensive resources

Wealthy travelers used carriages, but these required significant support, including horses, specialized personnel, and frequent maintenance on poor roads.

What it cost

Cost of basic goods

A pair of shoes typically cost between 2 and 6 sous, while a bushel of wheat was priced at 4 sous.

Music

The Popular Pavane Dance

The solemn, slow-moving pavane was a popular dance used by nobles for grand entries and festivities, often accompanied by drums, oboes, trombones, and violins.

Daily life

Schooling for children in Savoy towns

Towns such as Chambery and Montmelian paid schoolmasters, supported by ecclesiastical institutions or private patronage.