Charles II, Duke of Orléans

At the table

Drinks and Fasting Days

Common people often drank water or a low-quality fermented drink called picotte, while taverns were important social spaces. During the frequent religious fast days, which numbered up to 150 per year, they relied on river fish or dried sea fish instead of meat.

What people wore

Essential tool pouches on belts

Peasant men wore belts with pouches to carry essential tools, such as sharpening stones or sewing implements.

Getting around

Daily travel distance for pack animals

In level country, merchant trains using pack animals could cover fifteen to twenty-five miles per day.

What it cost

Cost of shoes

The cost of shoemaking, specifically a pair of shoes, ranged from 0.6 to 1.34 sols tournois during the 16th century.

Music

Chapel choir life and rewards

The Duke's chapel choristers at Saint-Georges received an annual salary of 96 francs, a well-paid position at the time. On Saint Cecilia's Day, children of the choir were treated with distributions of small pastries.

Daily life

The rise of village schools

In the early 16th century, public authorities began to prioritize primary instruction, such as when the municipality of Morhange established a school in 1517. Households sometimes provided initial learning, and a home for teaching children was donated in Dieulouard in 1504.