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Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues

Orléans, 1579 – Paris, 9 Feb 1633

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1579

    Born in Orléans

  2. 1601–1603

    2 children are born

  3. 9 Feb 1633

    Dies in Paris

Family

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Parents

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Orléans.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1570s · Catherine is born in Orléans

In the news1562–1592

Recurring subsistence crises

During the wars, periodic subsistence crises occurred in 1562–1563, 1565–1566, 1573–1574, 1586–1587, and 1590–1592, causing high prices and food shortages.

Getting around

Royal travel took weeks to complete

A royal court journey from Paris to Chambord could take three weeks because the procession included thousands of people, animals, and entire households.

In the news1572

St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, a violent event in Paris in 1572, resulted in significant deaths and intensified the religious conflicts.

Daily life

Modest homes lacked modern interior conveniences

Ordinary homes often featured wooden facades and roofs with attic windows called lucarnes, while interiors had large, drafty rooms and oversized fireplaces. Significantly, even in wealthy residences, private bathrooms or nightstands did not exist.

What people wore

Shepherdess attire in Anjou

A shepherdess from Anjou wore a cloth bonnet with a raised crown, a blouse with a fluted collar, a blue bodice, braces, and a woollen skirt.

Music

Sounds of daily life and festivals

While church music was restricted, bells rhythmically marked daily life, and loud instruments like oboes and bagpipes were used for village festivals and celebrations.

At the table

Bread and soup as staples

Ordinary families relied on grain-based foods, with bread and soups made of bread soaked in broth, water, or vegetable mixtures providing up to 80 percent of daily calories.