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Maria da Assunção of Portugal

Queluz, 23 Jul 1805 – Santarém, 7 Jan 1834

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 23 Jul 1805

    Born in Queluz

  2. 7 Jan 1834

    Dies in Santarém, aged 28

Family

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Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Queluz.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1800s · Maria is born in Queluz

Who governed

In the news1807–1811

French Invasions Ruin Economy (1807-1811)

The French invasions of 1807, 1809, and 1810-1811 caused widespread devastation, economic ruin, and the temporary departure of the royal family to Brazil.

Music

Nuns as skilled musicians

Nuns in monasteries were skilled musicians who played instruments like the organ, harpsichord, and harp, and they sometimes commissioned and performed complex concertato music.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.In Europe · 1803–1815

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.

Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

In the news1808

Brazilian Ports Opened (1808)

The 1808 opening of Brazilian ports ended Portugal's colonial trade monopoly, causing a major long-term decline in the Portuguese merchant navy and economic stagnation.

What people wore

Peasant dress in Torres Vedras

Peasants in Torres Vedras typically wore jackets thrown over the shoulder, red waistcoats, and short blue breeches with loose drawers reaching the calf. Both sexes often went barefoot, though brown tanned boots were sometimes used.

Getting around

Lisbon to Coimbra by post carriage

In 1804, a post carriage (mala-posta) route between Lisbon and Coimbra took 40 hours, but the service was suspended shortly after due to high costs and low profits.