Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal

Music

Common musical instruments in 16th-century Portugal

Common musical instruments in Portugal before 1500 included cordophones like lutes and harps, wind instruments such as flutes, bagpipes, and organs, and percussion like tambourines and adufes. Many instruments were used in secular and religious contexts, though some were banned from religious ceremonies by the church.

At the table

Common Foods and Market Delicacies

Sardines were a common and affordable fish for the poor, whereas fresh dairy products like cheese, cream, and milk-bread were sold in markets or by street vendors, sometimes adulterated with water. For sweet treats, ordinary people enjoyed honey-based items like alféloas and pinhoada.

Daily life

Lisbon homes organized around a courtyard

Many houses used a central open courtyard that brought light and air into the interior and connected rooms together.

What people wore

Commoner Clothing in Everyday Life

Ordinary people wore dark-colored clothing made of coarse, patched fabrics. Men wore woolen tunics, coarse leggings, and felt or cloth hats.

Getting around

Daily travel distances and pace

A hurried group with riding animals could travel about 40 kilometers per day, provided they were not using oxen, which were much slower. Travelers often measured distances in leagues, though these were imprecise and often determined by how many taverns the muleteers wanted to stop at.

What it cost

Price of poultry and meat luxury

In 1499, a chicken was priced at 30 réis, and meat consumption was generally considered a luxury that was not within everyone's reach.