Infante Carlos Lorenzo of Spain

What people wore

Costly and Heavy Headpieces

In the 16th century, women in some regions wore elaborate, heavy headpieces made of linen or crepe that were so costly and uncomfortable they petitioned for them to be reformed. These headpieces were so large and oddly shaped that observers likened them to baskets of cherries or ships sailing with full wind.

Daily life

Food costs and daily wages

For the price of just one blanca—half a maravedí—it was possible to purchase 9 fresh or salted sardines. An average laborer earned about 17 maravedís per day.

Work

A violent strike in Córdoba, 1595

In 1595, agricultural workers in Córdoba went on strike for higher wages and shorter hours; the city responded by arresting strikers and sentencing them to four hours in the pillory and ten days in jail.

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

Aloeja and tavern drinks

A popular tavern drink was aloja, made rudimentarily from the fruits of the algarrobo and served in taverns.

Getting around

Common travel methods and poor roads

During the late 16th century, people typically traveled on foot, by horse, or by mule, while wagons and carriages were rare, often uncomfortable, and sometimes prohibited for moral or social reasons. Transport was frequently easier on the backs of beasts than on wheels due to the poor quality of the roads.

What it cost

Gender wage gap in 1553 agriculture

In 1553 Requena, male field workers earned between 34 and 68 maravedíes per day depending on the month, while women earned a fixed rate of only 17 maravedíes per day.