Renata of Lorraine

Renata of Lorraine was a noblewoman of the House of Lorraine who became a Duchess of Bavaria by her marriage to Duke William V.

Class-based clothing restrictions

Sumptuary laws in 1549 restricted the middle class from wearing velvet except on petticoats or sleeves, while artisans and peasants were forbidden from wearing velvet or silk entirely.

Peasant women's head covering

Peasant women in the countryside wore a simple cloth over their heads to protect against bad weather, often folding it to create a hood under the chin.

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.

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.

Daily distance for pack animals

In level country, pack animals carrying heavy loads typically covered 15 to 25 miles in a single day.

Limited Availability of Primary Schooling

Primary education was rare and highly localized, often funded by individual patrons or local church officials; for instance, a school in Bauzemont was supported by an annual endowment of four résaux of wheat. Instruction was not widespread, and specialized secondary or higher education usually required travel outside the duchy, such as to Paris.

Typical Lorraine Home Layout and Facilities

Lorraine homes of this period typically featured a central hallway, a windowless kitchen with a floor-level fire, and a single heated bedroom for the family. Livestock were often sheltered within the same building, and the attic served as a hayloft.

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.

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.

Meat prices from 1540 to 1549

Between 1540 and 1549, the average price of a pound of beef in the region was 5.5/6 deniers stebler, while veal and mutton cost 5.5/12 deniers stebler per pound.

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.

Common jobs in the Duchy of Lorraine

In the Duchy of Lorraine, common occupations included farming, textile work like drapery, tanning, shoemaking, and rural industries such as mining, glassmaking, and paper production.

Guild fees and hereditary membership

Craft guilds in the region required masters to pay a fee, known as the right of hart, to gain a monopoly, and membership often tended to become hereditary.

Messengers carried letters and private goods

Couriers, known as messengers, often carried letters in tied packets and were responsible for their safety, sometimes supplementing their meager wages by carrying private goods.

Travelers and word-of-mouth spread news

Ordinary people relied on travelers like merchants, pilgrims, and students to carry news via word-of-mouth at inns, markets, and town halls.