Maurice of the Palatinate

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.

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

Common travel methods and daily speeds

Ordinary people traveled mainly on foot, covering 20–25 km per day, or by horse-drawn carts at 25–30 km per day. Noblemen typically traveled on horseback to show their status, achieving 30–40 km per day.

What it cost

Rapidly rising livestock prices

At the beginning of the 17th century, the price of an ox rose rapidly, starting at around 300 grosz in 1600 and tripling over the next 30 years.

Music

Music in courts and churches

Wealthy households and courts often maintained their own musical ensembles, while churches relied on organists and vocal groups to enhance the solemnity of services.

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.