Infanta Maria of Spain

What people wore

Daily and feast day clothing

Humble women often possessed only two outfits: one for daily chores and another specifically reserved for Sundays or feast days.

Daily life

Eating habits without tables or forks

Kitchens lacked designated tables, so meals were eaten using wooden spoons while sitting on benches or even on the floor. Food was often handled with the fingers, as forks were not yet in general use and were sometimes viewed as dangerous or unrefined.

Work

Agricultural labor and regulated daily wages

Many ordinary people were agricultural day laborers who worked from sunrise to sunset, often under strict municipal wage caps. In 1588, for example, Cifuentes set daily wages between 1 and 2 reales depending on the season.

Music

The popular five-course guitar

The five-course guitar emerged as the most popular instrument in Spain, played in all social settings ranging from taverns and homes to the royal court.

At the table

Bread and cheap cheese shaped meals

For ordinary people, bread was the basic staple; descriptions of popular diets emphasize pan and modest additions like cheese, such as “mendrugos de pan, queso y cebolla.”

Getting around

Difficult river crossings and extra taxes

Crossing rivers was difficult because of few bridges, forcing travelers to use small boats where they might wait hours to transport a single carriage or group of people. Boatmen charged a specific tax called barcaje for these crossings.

What it cost

Regulated seasonal wages

In 1588, the council of Cifuentes set wage caps for plowmen and pruners ranging from 34 maravedís to 68 maravedís depending on the season.