Johanna Maria van der Gheynst

What people wore

Flemish women's wool dresses

In the early 16th century, Flemish women frequently wore dresses of black light-weight wool (serge) that were so fitted they revealed their body shape. When going out, women would lift the edges of their outer dresses and secure them at the waist with iron hooks.

Daily life

Housing conditions and light

Homes were typically made of wood, often with small windows covered in oiled parchment instead of glass, which allowed little sunlight inside. In poorer households, multiple families might share a single room for cooking, eating, and sleeping.

Work

Work bells structured the daily rhythm

Workers often relied on city bells, or work bells, to regulate the start, breaks, and end of their long days. Industrial tasks like textile production were tightly supervised, with bells dictating when labourers had to be at their workshops.

Music

Margaret of Austria's rare dance book

Margaret of Austria possessed a dance book from around 1500 containing 58 songs with gold staves and silver notes, which included dance instructions in letters below the music.

At the table

Staple foods for ordinary families

Since bread was expensive to bake, many poor families relied on a porridge made from rye, wheat, or barley mixed with water. Eating breakfast as a general meal was not yet common, though children and the sick were sometimes allowed bread dipped in beer or wine.

Getting around

Staple rights could delay travelers significantly

Staple rights in cities like Grave or Venlo could force merchants to offer their goods for sale for several days, significantly delaying journeys.

What it cost

Daily wages of a skilled worker

In 1500, a skilled worker in the Low Countries earned 5 stuivers per day, increasing to 6 stuivers by 1525.