Countess Catharina Belgica of Nassau

Catharina Belgica of Nassau was a countess of Hanau-Münzenberg by her marriage to Philip Louis II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg. She was regent of Hanau-Münzenberg during the minority of her son from 1612 until 1626.

Commoners wore bright colors

While elite fashion was dominated by black, common people in paintings were typically depicted in brighter colors like green, yellow, pink, and blue.

Practical straw hats for workers

Straw hats of various shapes, such as wide-brimmed or bowl-shaped, were a practical headwear choice for market women and those working outdoors.

Dancing at bourgeois gatherings

Bourgeois weddings and gatherings featured ensemble music, with people dancing to melodies like rondes, branles, and bergerettes.

Peasant music with bagpipes and fiddles

At peasant feasts, ordinary people enjoyed loud, lively music featuring instruments like bagpipes, fiddles, and hurdy-gurdies.

Five-hour canal trips and ice-breaking barges

In 1575, authorities mandated that the horse-drawn canal barge trip between Brussels and Willebroek must take exactly five hours. To keep the canal navigable during winter, an iron-reinforced barge pulled by many horses was used to break the ice as early as 1573.

Organized local transport market in Brabant

Local transport of commodities in Brabant was highly organized despite lacking corporations, relying on both professional carters and occasional transporters hired through tenders or temporary contracts. There was no price advantage for farmers offering transport services, as all contractors were paid at competitive market rates.

Family records in daily life

Well-off families meticulously recorded daily events like births, marriages, and where children were sent to learn Latin or French in personal notebooks.

Splendid stone-facaded homes in Bruges

Bruges was noted for its many stone-facaded houses, which were often considered more splendid and costly than those in other cities.

Alcohol Given to Infants

It was a common, physician-approved custom to give infants wooden nipples filled with wine or beer, starting their taste for alcohol early.

Beer as a Daily Staple Drink

Because water was often contaminated and dangerous, ordinary people drank beer as their staple beverage, even giving it to children.

Rising wages for unskilled workers

In the late 16th century, unskilled workers in the Bruges area saw their daily wages rise from approximately 5-6 groten in the early 1560s to 20-24 groten by the period 1595-1602.

Worker wages and food costs in 1583

In Deventer around 1583, a skilled mason earned 9 stuivers per day in summer, while a pound of bacon cost 3 stuivers and a pound of lamb cost 1.5 stuivers.

Common jobs in the Habsburg Netherlands

In the countryside, most people worked as farmers, maids, farm-hands, or day labourers, while towns were home to many craftsmen. Specialized roles in urban areas included printers, compositors, and various shop-based trades.

Memorable facts about working life

Some employers provided an annual bonus of a pair of new shoes, while servants who quit before their contract ended often forfeited all their wages. Harvesters could earn enough in five weeks to lease a small parcel of land.

High cost of sending mail

Postal service was expensive; in the 17th century, the cost of sending a single letter 100 kilometers was equivalent to the price of more than one pound of good meat.

Itinerant messengers carried ordinary mail

While professional couriers were used for official business, ordinary people often relied on itinerant pedlars, students, or journeymen to carry their messages by foot.