Maria Teresa of Spain

What people wore

Clothing as a rare, valuable commodity

Clothing was a valuable asset; poor individuals often had only two outfits, and even rags full of lice were carefully recorded to be sold at public auctions after their death.

Getting around

Long carriage journeys required mule rest

In 1786, a four-passenger carriage pulled by seven mules took 14 days to travel from Barcelona to Madrid, including a mandatory day of rest for the mules in Zaragoza. Travelers often paid for coaches and used multiple mules to navigate the journey, as was customary for longer trips.

At the table

Diet of the Laboring Poor

Poor laborers often ate soup with oil or cornmeal porridge in the morning and legumes or salted sardines at midday. Wine was considered expensive, so these families typically drank it only on feast days, sometimes to excess.

Music

Guitar and Castanets in Popular Life

The guitar was the most popular instrument among ordinary people, frequently used to accompany singing and dancing at home, in streets, and at festivals. Dancers often played simple castanets held in their palms to accompany themselves during performances.

Daily life

Difficult access to water supplies

Water was a daily constraint for ordinary people who lacked piped access and often fetched it from public fountains or bought it from water carriers. To supplement supplies, households collected rainwater in cisterns or relied on local wells, requiring significant manual labor to provision for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.

What it cost

Worker wages in the late 1700s

A typical daily wage for a common laborer was around 3.5 reales, though specialized workers like carpenters could earn between 6 and 11 reales.