Antonio de Portugal

Getting around

Travel Methods and Social Class Restrictions

Travelers commonly used horses or mules for transport, while ordinary people typically traveled on foot or by donkey because riding a mule was a status symbol reserved for nobility, clergy, and military leaders until the 16th century.

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.

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.

Daily life

Cooking depended on hearths and stored fuel

Household cooking relied on a fire area and stored goods within the same domestic space, with hearths/brazier-type setups as everyday equipment.

Work

Common jobs in Portugal

Seafaring, shipbuilding, and related trades like rope and sail manufacturing were major industries, alongside agricultural work, food supply, and craft professions.

Music

Music during royal meals

King Manuel I enjoyed music during his meals, listening to ensembles playing shawms, sackbuts, cornets, harps, drums, and fiddles every Sunday and holy day.

At the table

Common drinks and the poor's fish

Water and wine were the primary drinks, and in cities, water carriers sold fresh water using carts or jars to those who needed it. Sardines were a staple for the poor, often serving as a common alternative to more expensive fish or meat.