Marianna Kazanowska

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary families

Rye bread, groats, and peas formed the staple diet of ordinary households, often supplemented by dairy, fat, and vegetables from home gardens.

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.

Getting around

Winter travel equipment costs

In 1586, a villager purchased a transport sledge at the Ramygala market for ten Lithuanian groši, a common household tool for winter travel.

What it cost

The cost of footwear fluctuated frequently

A pair of shoes cost 10.9 units of currency in 1641, with prices fluctuating throughout the period.

Music

Forgotten songs and dances found in manuscripts

A 17th-century manuscript discovered inside a religious book revealed over 200 long-forgotten songs and dances, including pieces like the Polonez and the Bergamask-style Pagamoszka.

Daily life

Parish schooling for children

Elementary parish schools were often taught by organists or bachelors, with children of both genders sometimes learning to read together. Classes were occasionally held in improvised locations, such as behind a cemetery or even in a stranger's house.