Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

What people wore

Sunday best for villagers

Ordinary villagers often wore the same daily clothes, while the wealthier among them changed into better garments specifically for Sundays and feast days.

Daily life

Limited and basic primary schooling

Primary schooling was often sporadic or unavailable, usually consisting only of basic reading, writing, and catechism taught by a priest or vicar.

Work

Common jobs in 17th-century France

Common occupations in 17th-century France included artisans like bakers, tailors, and masons, as well as day laborers, domestic servants, and various river workers like boatmen. These individuals often worked in small shops, homes, or on the streets rather than large centralized workplaces.

Music

Street music and peasant dances

Street singers adapted popular court and opera melodies for public performance, while rural peasants often danced to the pipe and tabor during Sunday rest. Officials sometimes defended these peasant dances as innocent amusement after a week of hard labor.

At the table

Special Occasion Wine Price

Ordinary people bought high-quality wine for special occasions at popular weddings for ten sous per pint.

Getting around

Traveling on foot was common for many

Ordinary people, such as peddlers and pilgrims, typically traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day and wearing out a pair of shoes every 15 days.

What it cost

Medical treatment cost versus cutlery price

A medical enema in the 17th century cost 15 sous, which was the same price as a gross of small whistle knives.