Infante Alexandre of Portugal

What people wore

Maintaining appearances with limited clothing

Social strivers would meticulously maintain their limited clothing, washing and soaping collars and cuffs, and using animal fat to keep shoes looking shiny even when the soles were worn through. They also applied powders to their hats to mask age and wear, aiming to project an appearance of higher status.

Getting around

Slow, difficult overland travel

Due to poor roads, long-distance journeys were extremely slow; one traveler spent about 9 days traveling from Porto to Lisbon, including sections by carriage and boat. Land travel was so difficult that many opted for sea travel, despite the dangers.

At the table

Daily diet of a fieldworker

A 17th-century fieldworker could consume up to 1 kilogram of bread daily, along with broth, vegetables, small amounts of meat or fish, and significant quantities of wine.

Music

Instruments in royal and public life

Musicians used wind and percussion instruments, such as trumpets, shawms (charamelas), and timbales, to provide harmonic accompaniment for court ceremonies and public processions. These ensembles played at royal river excursions on the Tagus and during festive street celebrations.

Daily life

Simple cooking and olive oil use

Cooking often occurred in a simple space with a portable hearth and limited tools; olive oil was the primary fat used for cooking, as religious customs restricted the use of animal fats on certain days.