Anna Miełżyńska

What people wore

Valuable Noblewoman's Clothing

Seventeenth-century noblewomen's wills show that items like fur-lined coats, velvet dresses, and specific headgear such as caps and wimples were vital assets, sometimes valued higher than silver or jewelry.

Daily life

Shared kitchens and street food

Cooking and heating often used the same domestic heat source, and in wealthier homes, kitchens were frequently located in separate buildings or far from living rooms to reduce heat and smoke. In cities, some households shared large kitchens, and people could buy prepared foods like fried liver or żur from street vendors.

Work

Winter as the season for hiring staff

The Christmas to Epiphany period served as a major time for hiring new servants, as it was considered a slow season for agricultural work.

Music

Bagpipes at festivals and inns

During festivals and weddings, the bagpipe was a popular instrument played at inns, while gentry and noblemen also enjoyed dancing to it in a spirit of native tradition.

At the table

Staple foods in peasant diets

A peasant diet during this period was primarily based on rye bread, with adults consuming 0.6 to 0.9 kilograms daily, alongside porridge, peas, and cabbage.

Getting around

Common means of travel between towns

People traveled mainly by horseback, in horse-drawn carriages such as the covered kocz or kolasa, or on foot. River transport was also used as a popular alternative due to the poor condition of land roads.

What it cost

The tripling cost of shoes

In 1600, a pair of shoes cost around 50 grosz, but the price tripled to 150 grosz by 1633 due to economic instability and currency depreciation.