Sumptuary Laws

Posted by Lorri Brown May 16, 2007

Imagine living in a society where there are laws in place that dictate what foods you are allowed to eat, what color clothing you are allowed to wear, and even how much you are allowed to spend on a daughter’s wedding. If you were to break any of these rules, you would be fined and possibly imprisoned. Sound strange? Well, in Renaissance Europe these were common laws. Known as sumptuary laws, these laws were in place to help regulate consumption of goods and services, as well as curb ostentatious displays of wealth.

There are records of sumptuary laws dating back as early as the 1100s. They began as rules issued by the Catholic Church, but by the 1400s many were being issued by local governments. Sumptuary laws firmly established a social hierarchy, by limiting what the lower class was allowed to buy, eat, and wear. For example, only royalty were allowed to wear ermine fur. Peasants and laborers were forced to wear cheaper fur, such as fox, rabbit and cat (gross!). In Tudor England, Henry VIII passed a law stating then men’s shoes could be no wider than six inches. In strict Calvinist lands, such as Geneva, brightly colored clothes were forbidden.

Sumptuary laws dictated how much money a family could spend when entertaining with banquets and formal dinners. The reason for this was to prevent families from bankrupting themselves in the quest to put on the best shindig. At banquets where upper, middle and lower classes were all dining, they were given a specific amount of food according to social standing. Upper classes may receive up to eight courses during one banquet, while the lower classes would only receive three or four.

For more information about food and fashion in the Renaissance, check out these articles:

Popular Renaissance Food and Historical Costumes of the Renaissance.