Charlotte Louise de Lorraine-Brionne

Getting around

Common modes of personal travel

While the wealthy used carriages, ordinary people frequently traveled on foot or relied on pack animals like mules for longer journeys between towns.

At the table

Scarcity and Alternative Food Sources

Ordinary families consumed very little meat, typically limited to pork, lard, or sheep tripe. During harsh times or shortages, the rural poor were forced to supplement their diet with wild plants like ferns, acorns, or grass.

What people wore

Aprons as Occupational Markers

On working days, both men and women typically wore aprons, which often became stained by their specific occupations, such as printing or butchery.

Music

Public concert series started in Paris

Starting in 1725, Parisians could attend public concerts organized by the Concert Spirituel society, which performed in the Tuileries Gardens when the Opéra was closed for religious festivals.

Daily life

Modest housing for common people

Most ordinary people lived in simple houses built of mud, known as wattle and daub, and covered with thatched roofs. These homes typically consisted of a single room that functioned as living, working, and sleeping space for the entire family.