Infanta Catherine, Duchess of Braganza

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

Dietary Staples and Substitutes for Meat

While bread, wine, and soup were staples for ordinary people, meat was considered a luxury, often replaced by vegetables like chickpeas, fava beans, and lentils in their daily diet. Vegetables were typically served boiled as accompaniments in soups or stews rather than eaten raw in salads.

Daily life

Street food in 16th-century Lisbon

People of limited means in Lisbon purchased a variety of ready-to-eat foods from street vendors, including fried fish, grilled sardines, boiled tripe, and sweets like rice pudding and marmalade.

What people wore

Ceremonial dress and mourning attire

Ceremonial clothing in the early sixteenth century was often heavy, uncomfortable, and designed solely to be looked at, intentionally preventing the wearer from performing simple daily tasks. During this period, mourners wore coarse fabrics like burel, almáfega, and vaso as a form of penance.

Getting around

Daily travel distances and pace

A hurried group with riding animals could travel about 40 kilometers per day, provided they were not using oxen, which were much slower. Travelers often measured distances in leagues, though these were imprecise and often determined by how many taverns the muleteers wanted to stop at.

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.