Prince Pierre, Duke of Penthièvre

Getting around

Travel durations and costs in France

A journey from Paris to Rouen by carriage took 18 hours, while traveling to Barèges required 11 days. During the era of stagecoaches, a dinner at a good inn typically cost two francs.

Daily life

Cramped and dark living conditions

Ordinary urban homes were often cramped and poorly ventilated, with many workers living in simple apartments of one or two rooms, while some lived in communal boarding houses where rooms were shared dormitory-style. Interior spaces were frequently dark and smoky, as homes relied on open hearths for both heating and cooking, and floors were often made of packed earth rather than wood.

What people wore

Formal dress for life events

For church services, weddings, and funerals, ordinary people wore their best clothes, with women covering their heads and both sexes wearing formal black attire for mourning.

Music

Parisian singing societies and long gatherings

In Paris, goguettes—popular singing societies—were central to daily life, with approximately twenty songs typically sung during meetings that lasted four to five hours.

At the table

Bread was the daily staple food

Bread made up seven-eighths of the working-class diet in Paris, while families often added stewed pears, roasted apples, or small amounts of pork or bacon in winter.