João de Bragança

Music

The Popular Fandango Dance

In the 18th century, the fandango became so popular across all social classes that some foreign travelers considered it Portugal's national dance. Originally from Spanish theaters, it was danced by couples using castanets or finger snapping, often in taverns and even convents.

Daily life

Storing and transporting water in Lisbon houses

In noble Lisbon households, water for daily consumption was stored in large glazed clay jars or barrels, and was frequently transported to the home on the heads of workers. One specific household paid an employee 2,400 réis monthly to provide this essential water.

What it cost

Soldiers' wages and miserable conditions

Soldiers often lived on very little, sometimes receiving only food for their labor, and frequently had their wages delayed for months or even years. This resulted in soldiers often being seen wearing ragged and miserable shoes.

What people wore

Fishermen kept gala outfits for generations

Fishermen wore simple linen breeches during work, but dressed in blue cloth suits for Sundays and kept their finest gala outfits for rare feast days. These precious gala sets were often passed down through generations, from parents to children and even grandchildren.

Getting around

Common travel in mule-drawn calashes

Due to poor road conditions, the most common vehicles in Lisbon were two-mule calashes, while traveling by horse or mule was often necessary. A rental calash in the city cost 42 réis per day.

At the table

Cod as a staple for the poor

Dried and salted cod, known as bacalhau, was a staple protein for ordinary people because it was affordable and easy to store.