Concepción Sáenz de Tejada

Getting around

Railways dominated passenger travel by 1936

By 1936, the railway was the dominant mode of transport for long-distance travel, accounting for nearly 75 percent of internal land transport of passengers in Spain.

At the table

Staple diet of ordinary Spanish families

Ordinary families relied heavily on cereals, potatoes, and legumes, which made up about 60% of their caloric intake. Meat consumption was low due to high prices, and families often saved money by eating simple national dishes like puchero.

What people wore

Limited Wardrobes and Constant Mending

Ordinary people wore clothes until they wore out, often mending them until they could be reused as rags; many owned only two outfits, one for work and one for Sunday or feast days.

Music

Religious dancing in Seville cathedral

On feast days at the Seville cathedral, twelve youths dressed in 17th-century silk costumes traditionally danced the sevillana before the high altar.

Daily life

Modernizing Urban Homes and Cooking

In urban homes, the arrival of electricity and gas, along with running water and central heating, transformed daily life, though these modern comforts were primarily enjoyed by the affluent. For many, traditional charcoal stoves remained the standard for cooking until well into the 1920s.