Leonor I of Navarre

What people wore

The Colorful Woolen Tunic Called Saya

Ordinary people wore a tunic called a saya, which was often made of wool and dyed in various colors like red, purple, ocher, blue, green, white, or black. It was typically worn by peasants and artisans, sometimes featuring an open neck known as an amigaut.

Daily life

Household as the center of life

The household served as the primary center for education, work, and life, with tasks like laundry and water fetching falling to women and domestic servants.

Work

Agricultural life and self-sufficiency

About 80 percent of Navarre's population relied on agriculture, with most households aiming for self-sufficiency. Two-thirds of farmers combined agricultural work with artisan activities.

Music

Cathedral music and instrument maintenance

In the Pamplona Cathedral during the early 16th century, musicians such as chirimia players were officially employed, and payments for instrument maintenance, like repairing a bajon, were recorded in ducats.

At the table

Large feasts and local wine consumption

Ordinary people often held large feasts after mass, consuming lamb, veal, and wine from local towns like Artajona and Olite. These communal meals were so common that they were eventually restricted by law in 1757 to prevent excessive spending and disorder.

Getting around

Limited river navigation

Rivers in the region were generally not navigable, except for the Ebro, where small boats transported goods like grain, wine, and iron.

What it cost

Wheat and Bread as Basic Staples

Bread was the most appreciated food, with wheat being the basic crop; however, poor harvests frequently led to tragic famines.