Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu

Getting around

Daily Travel Distances

A hurried travel party on horseback could cover approximately 40 kilometers per day, though this distance was significantly reduced if the animals used for traction were oxen.

What it cost

Price of poultry and meat luxury

In 1499, a chicken was priced at 30 réis, and meat consumption was generally considered a luxury that was not within everyone's reach.

What people wore

Feast Day Formal Attire

On feast days, men wore breeches, vests, and jackets, often accessorized with large silver buckles on their shoes and breeches. If they did not own this formal attire, they borrowed it from others.

Daily life

Water often came via vendors

Alongside wells/cisterns, everyday water supply could be handled by water-sellers (aguadeiros), including delivery methods like carts that carried pots of water.

Work

Common jobs in Portugal

Seafaring, shipbuilding, and related trades like rope and sail manufacturing were major industries, alongside agricultural work, food supply, and craft professions.

Music

Common musical instruments in 16th-century Portugal

Common musical instruments in Portugal before 1500 included cordophones like lutes and harps, wind instruments such as flutes, bagpipes, and organs, and percussion like tambourines and adufes. Many instruments were used in secular and religious contexts, though some were banned from religious ceremonies by the church.

At the table

Simple fare for ordinary Portuguese families

Ordinary families often ate light meals of fruit and bread, or pottages of cereals and vegetables, saving meat and sweets for festive days. In 1422, a local council purchased farteis, which were cakes made with flour, eggs, butter, and sometimes almonds, for community celebrations.