© Jeroen Savelkouls
Around 1393, an elderly citizen of Paris wrote a book on household management for his new fifteen-year-old bride. Because the young lady did not have any experience in managing a big and wealthy household, her husband decided to write down the tasks in detail. I am glad he did, because this source - known as the Ménagier de Paris - gives us a splendid insight into how a large household handled food, and what roles women played in it.
Servants
The lady of the house often had help and could be advised by a steward, which was always a man. also had help from a , a housekeeper, who was hired by the husband to educate his wife on the managing job.
