Tomasa Aldana

Illescas, 1 Apr 1627 – Madrid, 5 Feb 1675

4 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

Born1 Apr 1627, Illescasnot verified1 source
Died5 Feb 1675, Madridnot verified1 source

A life in time

1 Apr 1627
Born in Illescas
1640–1642
2 children are born
5 Feb 1675
Dies in Madrid, aged 47

Family

See the tree

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Illescas.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1620s · Tomasa is born in Illescas

In the news1627

First royal bankruptcy in 1627

In 1627, Spain was forced to declare its first bankruptcy due to the insupportable military strain on the monarchy's resources.

Getting around

Common methods of travel

Most people traveled on foot or horseback, though wealthy individuals used litters carried by mules or human-powered sedan chairs.

In the news1628

Dutch capture treasure fleet in 1628

In 1628, the Dutch captured the entire American treasure fleet at the Cuban bay of Matanzas, severely impacting the Crown's finances.

Daily life

Cooking in the kitchen

Cooking was done over low-burning fireplaces, using iron trivets to support pots or a "llar" chain to hang caldrons. Food was often prepared and eaten in the kitchen, which served as a primary gathering space for poorer families.

What people wore

The high cost of fashionable hats

A beaver hat from Paris could be so expensive that its cost equaled the price of six mantles for poor widows to attend mass.

Music

Church use of wooden matracas

During Holy Week, the Church allowed the use of wooden noisemakers called matracas to commemorate the death of Jesus when bells were forbidden.

At the table

Wine as a safer drink than water

Ordinary people predominantly drank wine because water from rivers, wells, and irrigation ditches was frequently contaminated and posed serious health risks. Wine provided essential calories and was considered a safer alternative to water.