Meet the Middle Ages
BackCecilia the Inn-keeper
Cecilia lived in Kalmar during the first part of the 15th century. She might have come to live there in 1397. Cecilia was married to Nils Ducus. Together, they kept an inn at the market-place. Nils died early in life, and then Cecilia had to manage the inn on her own. The inn was a booth in front of one of the grand stone-houses at the north end of the square. Here, Cecilia served food and beer. In the annual ("Tänkeboken"), she is described as a large, mannish woman ("junker dicta"). This was probably to her advantage when she served heavy jugs of beer.
Most families brewed their own beer. Sometimes though, it was nice to treat oneself to a drink and a meal at Cecilia ´s inn. To those who could afford it, Cecilia would serve expensive German beer.
Many cooks and inn-keepers lived in town. Cecilia probably knew them all.
I sommarlovsprogrammet SALVE kunde man ibland se folk som åt och drack vid ett bord utanför ett av stenhusen.