Jost von Barby

What it cost

Meat prices from 1540 to 1549

Between 1540 and 1549, the average price of a pound of beef in the region was 5.5/6 deniers stebler, while veal and mutton cost 5.5/12 deniers stebler per pound.

What people wore

Class-based clothing restrictions

Sumptuary laws in 1549 restricted the middle class from wearing velvet except on petticoats or sleeves, while artisans and peasants were forbidden from wearing velvet or silk entirely.

Daily life

Limited Availability of Primary Schooling

Primary education was rare and highly localized, often funded by individual patrons or local church officials; for instance, a school in Bauzemont was supported by an annual endowment of four résaux of wheat. Instruction was not widespread, and specialized secondary or higher education usually required travel outside the duchy, such as to Paris.

Work

Guild fees and hereditary membership

Craft guilds in the region required masters to pay a fee, known as the right of hart, to gain a monopoly, and membership often tended to become hereditary.

Getting around

Travel by foot and pack animal

Ordinary people typically traveled by foot, often moving in groups or convoys for safety, while merchants and those with cargo frequently relied on pack animals like mules and horses.

At the table

Diet of poor vs. wealthy peasants

While wealthier peasants had access to various meats and fruits, poorer families primarily relied on a basic diet of soup, bread, and cheese. They often drank a local beverage known as picotte instead of wine.