Antonio da Costa Amado-Noivo

Music

Popular Marches in Lisbon

Popular marches were held in Lisbon every June, often becoming a competitive event between neighbourhoods that faced strict official judging criteria for their joyful and upstanding qualities.

Daily life

Basic rural home infrastructure and daily tasks

Most rural homes lacked electricity and running water, forcing women to carry water from public fountains in jars balanced on their heads. At night, houses were lit by oil lamps or the fireplace, as electricity was rare in villages until late in the period.

What it cost

Basic food prices in the mid-century

During the 1950s and 1960s, a simple bread roll cost 4 tostões, while a kilogram of Norwegian cod was priced at 20 escudos.

What people wore

Children carried shoes to school

Children often went to school barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands to ensure they would not wear out.

Getting around

Driving speeds on old national roads

While early car travelers could reach speeds of over 120 km/h, average speeds on Portugal's narrow, winding national roads were often below 30 km/h, with Porto to Lisbon trips typically taking up to five hours.

At the table

Rural diet based on carbohydrates and scarcity

In rural areas, families often shared a single large loaf of bread and ate a simple diet based on carbohydrates like potatoes and vegetables, with meat and fish being rare luxuries. Meat, such as pork, was conserved in salt or lard and consumed in very small quantities, sometimes described as a sardine divided among three people.