Lamoral II Claudius Franz, Count of Thurn and Taxis

At the table

Year-round pantry supplies

Families kept household stocks for a year, including smoked Westphalian hams, sausages, tongue, and various fruits preserved in salt or vinegar, such as artichokes and cucumbers.

What people wore

Colorful and Practical Peasant Attire

Working women used vibrant color combinations for their daily clothing, such as olive gowns with red kirtles and pink sleeves, which provided a festive appearance despite lacking expensive applied decorations. Straw hats were common, practical headwear for those spending their days working outdoors.

Getting around

Affordable and Social Canal Travel

Barges were favored for their predictability and comfort, often serving as a social space where passengers could eat meals. While the wealthy traveled by private coach, the barge provided an affordable, reliable alternative for the middle class and even the poor, who were sometimes subsidized by urban welfare funds.

What it cost

Rye prices in Ghent markets

Between 1594 and 1700, the price of rye in the Ghent and Deinze markets fluctuated strongly between 50 and 232 groten Vlaams per halster.

Music

Popular instruments for village dance and fairs

At village fairs and festivals, musicians commonly played instruments such as trumpets, flutes, bagpipes, fifes, and drums to entertain dancing crowds. The combination of a flute and a small drum (tabor) was a classic, inseparable pairing for accompanying rural festivities.

Daily life

Single-room homes lacked separate kitchens

Poorer people often lived in a single-room home that did not have a separate kitchen area for cooking.