Culinary Topography of the Castle in Sieradz (Central Poland) in the Early Modern Period (16th Century - 1st Half of the 17th Century)

Abstract

The article discusses the broadly understood issue of food in the castle in Sieradz in the 16^th century - 1^st half of the 17^th century, which was the capital seat of the county – starosty (Polish: starostwo) and also land, and later of the Sieradz voivodeship, an administrative and economic centre headed by startoste (Polish: starosta) – an official appointed for life by the king. Although the castle was destroyed about 200 years ago, its form and many aspects of everyday life are perfectly legible in the light of numerous archival written sources and, to a lesser extent, archaeological evidence, which allows for its analysis in the historical context of ‘food studies.’ They enable us to determine the location and formal reconstruction of places where food products were processed and stored (larder, kitchen, bakery, brewery, breeding and cultivation areas), make an attempt to recreate the inventory of the objects collected in these places, and capture the dynamics of the accompanying changes. An attempt was also made to hypothetically reconstruct the dishes and places where they were served, and the groups of people who consumed them. This enabled us to notice social stratification manifested in the standards of food and the conditions of its consumption.