Pedro de Alcántara Brasileiro

What people wore

Gold jewelry in Madeiran peasant dress

In Madeira, well-to-do countrywomen were identified by gold chains, which they wrapped twice around their necks and fastened to the lower part of their bright, sometimes embroidered bodices. For men and women, fine linen shirts were fastened with buttons that were sometimes made of gold.

Daily life

Water access and cooking methods

Water was scarce and expensive, sometimes costing twenty times more than in London, and was often collected from public fountains or wells. Cooking for many poor families was done over three stones, as indoor fireplaces were relatively rare in the Portuguese climate.

Music

Music in the royal chapel

In the royal chapel, organists sometimes played airs that were considered too tender and voluptuous for the solemnity of church services. Religious ceremonies were spectacles that combined music, incense, and lights to deeply move the kneeling crowds.

At the table

Daily routines and tavern meals

Workers often started their day at 6 am with a mata-bicho, consisting of bread and a glass of aguardente, before heading to work. Frequent tavern meals were also common, where men might eat half a loaf of bread, some mackerel, and a quartilho (about 0.5 liters) of wine.

Getting around

Travel by Mule and Horseback

In this period, most ordinary land travel relied on mules, horses, or litters, as there were almost no carriage roads and no public transportation outside of Lisbon and Porto. A league, the standard unit of distance, was typically defined as the distance a loaded mule could cover in one hour, though it varied significantly depending on the muleteer's desire to stop at taverns.