Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles VII was elector of Bavaria from 26 February 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 to his death on 20 January 1745. He was also King of Bohemia from 1741 to 1743. Charles was a member of the House of Wittelsbach, and his reign as Holy Roman Emperor thus marked the end of three centuries of uninterrupted Habsburg imperial rule, although he was related to the Habsburgs by both blood and marriage.

Evolution of clothing materials and styles

During the late 17th century in the region, men's clothing primarily consisted of heavy, durable fabrics, whereas women's fashion began to change more rapidly with the emergence of the dress as a distinct garment.

Dance music at taverns

Common people enjoyed dancing to the music of fiddlers and bagpipe players at taverns and festivals, often using instruments held against the chest or shoulder.

Christmas carols in church

During Christmas, churches performed Cantiones Natalitiae, polyphonic motets in Dutch or Latin that featured pastoral themes, such as shepherds playing bagpipes and flutes for the newborn Jesus.

Antwerp to Brussels travel schedule

A journey from Antwerp to Brussels took a full day, departing at 8 a.m. and arriving in the evening after stopping in Mechelen at noon for a meal.

Subsidized travel for the poor

While ordinary people traveled by boat, the poor could sometimes travel at a reduced fare thanks to city-funded armenkassen (poor funds), which also helped remove beggars from towns.

Lighting and candles in daily life

By 1700, an average household in Ghent possessed about six lighting-related objects, such as candles and candlesticks, which doubled by 1800. Candles provided brighter light than lamps but were more expensive, leading people to use oil lamps and small lanterns for daily tasks.

Portable cooking stoves and tools

Households used metal komforen, portable stoves filled with glowing coals, for heating and as a cooking device. These allowed the transition toward frying and roasting food, which required pots and pans with flat bottoms.

Beer as the daily beverage

Beer was the standard drink for all, with records from Zichem indicating an estimated annual consumption of 456 liters per person. It was considered safer and healthier than water, which was often contaminated.

Simple diet of the ordinary people

Ordinary people in the Spanish Netherlands relied on a simple diet primarily consisting of rye bread, porridge, and soups made from vegetables grown in their own gardens. Meat was eaten only occasionally.

Rye prices in the 18th century

Between 1701 and 1792, rye prices in the Ghent and Deinze region fluctuated between 50 and 100 groten Vlaams per halster.

Food prices in the 17th century

A pig cost 24 livres, while a bushel of red wheat was priced at 47 sous in the 17th century.

Long working days from dawn to dusk

Working days were long, typically starting at 5 am in summer or 6 am in winter and lasting until 8 pm, with only short breaks.

Unusual labor tasks for the lord

In earlier times, peasants sometimes had to perform labor services like stirring pond water to keep frogs silent so the lord could sleep, though such feudal obligations were increasingly rare by the late 17th century.