João of Braganza, Prince of Brazil

Getting around

Traffic chaos in 17th-century Lisbon streets

In late 17th-century Lisbon, coaches were luxury items that caused severe traffic congestion in narrow medieval streets, leading to violent disputes between elite passengers. Due to their size and the city's topography, sedan chairs and horse-litters remained the preferred transport for the quality.

What it cost

Declining living standards in the 1600s

During the 17th century, living standards for both skilled and unskilled workers in cities like Lisbon and Coimbra declined, placing Portugal among European countries with falling living standards at the time.

What people wore

Status Display in Merchant Wardrobes

Merchants during this period carefully curated their wardrobes to project status, often documenting expensive items like silk dresses or velvet breeches in their inventories while omitting common daily wear. Symbols of wealth and social standing included items like a crimson red woman's cape valued at 12,000 réis or a fine cloth suit costing 10,000 réis.

Daily life

Cooking Tools and Costs

While ceramic cooking pots were common and cost about 5 réis each, metal pots were considered expensive items. Poor families often relied on simple hearths for cooking, as specialized fireplaces were comparatively rare in the Portuguese climate.

Work

Stagnant wages and volatile living standards

Laborers in urban centers like Lisbon and Coimbra faced stagnant daily wages throughout the century, meaning that their living standards were almost entirely determined by volatile annual food price fluctuations. Historians estimate that workers typically worked around 250 days per year, accounting for illness and non-working days.

Music

Domestic dance music for amateurs

Wealthy amateurs in domestic settings played French-style dance music, adapted for instruments like the keyboard, guitar, lute, and harp. These arrangements were often facilitated by the circulation of short scores.

At the table

Cod as a Staple Food

During the late 17th century, ordinary Portuguese families relied on dried and salted cod, known as bacalhau, as an essential and affordable source of protein, especially during religious periods of abstinence like Lent. Cod was prized by the poor because it was fully utilized—from the loin to the tongue—making it economical and long-lasting in the kitchen.