Philip Wolfgang, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg

Getting around

Common travel methods in late 16th century

Travelers typically walked, rode horses or mules, or used rare public carriages operated by universities. Roads were often unmaintained and lacked suspension, making travel in heavy carts uncomfortable and slow.

Daily life

Modest homes lacked modern interior conveniences

Ordinary homes often featured wooden facades and roofs with attic windows called lucarnes, while interiors had large, drafty rooms and oversized fireplaces. Significantly, even in wealthy residences, private bathrooms or nightstands did not exist.

What people wore

Standard peasant wear in Saumur region

A 16th-century peasant from the Saumur region wore a felt hat with a turned-down brim, a sayon tunic to the mid-thigh, a blue jerkin, and a country-style coat called a balandras.

Music

A popular Renaissance sung dance

The song Belle qui tiens ma vie, a well-known Renaissance piece, was originally a sung dance documented in the 1589 manual Orchésographie.

At the table

Preference for fermented drinks

Because water was considered unhealthy, common people preferred drinking wine, beer, or cider.