María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias

Getting around

Road travel was frequently at walking pace

Road conditions were often so poor that mule-drawn omnibuses could travel no faster than a walking pace, sometimes requiring passengers to disembark while drivers repaired the road with stones.

At the table

Common dishes for ordinary families

Ordinary families relied on simple meals like puchero, a slow-boiled stew of chickpeas, potatoes, and sometimes meat, or gazpacho, a cold vegetable soup with bread and oil. Breakfast for many working-class people was often just a jicara of chocolate with a roll.

What people wore

Dancing fashion and skirt lengths

Women's festive dancing attire often included long tails, though young unmarried women were expected to wear shorter, ground-length skirts.

Music

Musical experts in social settings

In small social gatherings, those who could play string instruments like the violin, guitar, bandurria, or lute were considered the musical experts of the group.

Daily life

Cramped living conditions in urban homes

Working-class homes often featured cramped, poorly lit rooms with little ventilation, frequently lacking basic amenities like internal toilets or running water. Households relied on simple furniture, oil lamps for lighting, and portable braziers or stoves for warmth.