Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso

Music

Music on board ship expeditions

Long-distance maritime expeditions, such as Pedro Álvares Cabral's 1500 voyage, included musicians playing instruments like trumpets, drums, flutes, and bagpipes.

At the table

Simple fare for ordinary Portuguese families

Ordinary families often ate light meals of fruit and bread, or pottages of cereals and vegetables, saving meat and sweets for festive days. In 1422, a local council purchased farteis, which were cakes made with flour, eggs, butter, and sometimes almonds, for community celebrations.

Daily life

Street food in 16th-century Lisbon

People of limited means in Lisbon purchased a variety of ready-to-eat foods from street vendors, including fried fish, grilled sardines, boiled tripe, and sweets like rice pudding and marmalade.

What people wore

Feast Day Formal Attire

On feast days, men wore breeches, vests, and jackets, often accessorized with large silver buckles on their shoes and breeches. If they did not own this formal attire, they borrowed it from others.

Getting around

Daily Travel Distances

A hurried travel party on horseback could cover approximately 40 kilometers per day, though this distance was significantly reduced if the animals used for traction were oxen.

What it cost

Rising Meat Prices in Lisbon

By the start of the 16th century, the price of meat in Lisbon rose sharply, with a 25 percent increase in the cost of beef and mutton occurring over a three-year period.