Victoria of Valois

Catherine de' Medici was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II. She was the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, and a cousin to Pope Clement VII. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici" since she had extensive, albeit at times varying, influence on the political life of France.

Servant girl's market clothing

A servant girl in Paris in 1586 wore a bonnet covered with a long cloth hood and a bodice that was laced at the front and trimmed with black velvet.

Shepherdess attire in Anjou

A shepherdess from Anjou wore a cloth bonnet with a raised crown, a blouse with a fluted collar, a blue bodice, braces, and a woollen skirt.

Instruments classified by volume

In the 16th century, instruments were classified by volume: loud instruments like oboes, trumpets, and sackbuts were for outdoor festivals, while quiet instruments like lutes, viols, and spinets were for intimate indoor use.

Rise of amateur home music

While professional musicians were hired for major events, amateur music-making at home became popular among the nobility and bourgeoisie, supported by the growth of music publishing and the use of tablatures.

Common ways of traveling during the Renaissance

Until the mid-16th century, common travel methods included walking, riding a mule, or, for the wealthy, riding a horse.

Coaches were extremely rare in 1550

In 1550, there were only three enclosed and suspended coaches in all of Paris, one of which belonged to the Queen of Francis I.

Segregated elementary schooling

While private tutors served noble families, elementary schools for others were church-run and segregated by gender; a 1554 decree specifically prohibited boys and girls from studying together.

Tall and narrow city housing

Ordinary Paris houses were tall, narrow structures of four or five stories, built with stone foundations, exposed wooden frames, and white plaster facades to prevent fires.

Bread and soup were dietary staples

Ordinary families based their daily diet on bread, often eaten as soup by soaking pieces in water or bouillon, alongside cereal porridges or cakes. This was frequently accompanied by a companage, which was a variety of accessible foods like vegetables, legumes, cheese, or eggs.

Regulated prices for bread and wine

In 1550, the price of food in Valence was officially regulated, with white bread costing 7 mailles per pound and black bread costing 5 mailles per pound. Wine was also a daily drink, with local black or red wine priced at 6 deniers per pot.

Agricultural worker daily wage

By 1550, an agricultural worker earned 1 livre per day.

Meat prices in 1550

In 1550, a pound of beef cost 8 deniers tournois, while a pound of pork cost 10 deniers tournois.

Calligraphers as Early Forensic Experts

Master calligraphers, recognized by the King in 1570, acted as forensics experts by comparing handwritten documents to detect forgeries.

Daily Life of Printing Apprentices

Printing press workers often worked more than 12 hours a day and were provided with a daily meal at the master's table as part of their wages.

Letter travel time between cities

A messenger traveling from Toulouse to Paris typically took two weeks to complete the journey, then stayed in Paris for eight days to distribute and collect letters.

Messengers carried private letters for money

During this period, royal messengers were technically forbidden from carrying private mail, but they frequently did so to supplement their meager wages.