Dona Julia de Serpa Pimentel

What people wore

Saving shoes by walking barefoot

To save wear and tear, people often carried their shoes over their shoulders and walked barefoot, only putting them on when they arrived at their destination, such as school or church.

Getting around

Limited access to rural sanctuaries

Until the mid-1930s, accessing the sanctuary of Porto d'Ave was only possible on foot or by horse along narrow paths, as roads were not yet suitable for automobiles or animal-drawn carriages.

At the table

Wartime Rationing and Factory Meals

During the 1940s, food scarcity led to the rationing of essential goods like cod, olive oil, and sugar using quarterly coupon booklets. Workers often brought their own meals in aluminum lunchboxes to the factory, heating them with alcohol kept in shoe polish tins.

Music

Fado Moves to Theatre Stages

During the 1930s and 1940s, fado singers like Hermínia Silva gained fame performing on theatre stages, moving fado from its origins in taverns and streets to broader audiences.

Daily life

Limited and Patriotic Schooling Conditions

Rural schooling was often limited to a single room for four grades and around 40 students, lacking electricity and toilets. Children were taught in a patriotic, conservative environment that focused on memorization and obedience to the regime.