Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal

Music

Wind bands played at festivals

Amateur wind bands were essential at festivals, performing music during religious processions and competing against each other in organized bandstand performances.

Daily life

Poor rural housing conditions

Rural homes were often small, dark, cold structures with few rooms, lacking electricity, running water, and sewage systems. Cooking was commonly done over an open fire or three stones on the floor, as chimneys were frequently absent.

What it cost

The molhadura contract tradition

In rural areas, workers were sometimes hired through a traditional practice called the molhadura, where a capataz paid for a glass of brandy to seal a weekly employment contract. This custom was compared to a human meat auction due to the lack of regulation.

What people wore

Traditional attire of Portuguese fishermen

Fishermen often wore simple work clothes, including linen trousers reaching the knee, a wool cap, and a sleeveless vest called a sertum. They only wore jackets in cold weather and saved elaborate, formal suits for special occasions like weddings or feast days.

Getting around

Oxen rescue services for stuck vehicles

Due to poorly maintained roads, peasants in some areas made money by using teams of oxen to rescue vehicles that became stuck in deep ruts and holes.

At the table

High Cost of Basic Nutrition

Ordinary families typically spent 60 percent of their income on food, yet many still struggled to eat well.