Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary families

For ordinary people, the diet was based on bread made from rye, wheat, or millet, often accompanied by soup, legumes, or a small portion of fatback. Meat was a rare luxury for common families, typically reserved for special occasions.

What people wore

Clothing as a valuable family asset

For many rural families, clothing was so precious that it was never discarded; it was often reused, sold to cover funeral costs, or given as part of a domestic servant's wages.

Getting around

Ox carts moved slowly

Carts pulled by oxen were used for short distances to transport items like wood, stone, or harvest products, moving at a slow pace of 20 to 35 kilometers per day.

What it cost

Daily worker income and living costs

A typical household in 16th-century Malaga, with a man earning 2 to 2.5 reales per day, found it difficult to survive due to rising costs.

Music

Singing Popular Romances

Romances, which functioned as popular ballads for sharing news and stories of chivalry, were commonly sung at home by people accompanying themselves on plucked string instruments.

Daily life

Multipurpose household furniture

Homes often lacked specialized rooms, meaning the same piece of furniture could serve as a seat during the day and be converted into a bed at night.