In the news1807–1811
French Invasions Ruin Economy (1807-1811)
The French invasions of 1807, 1809, and 1810-1811 caused widespread devastation, economic ruin, and the temporary departure of the royal family to Brazil.
Lisbon, 26 Oct 1802 – Esselbach, 14 Nov 1866
12 facts3 sources
26 Oct 1802
Born in Lisbon
1828–1834
Monarch of Portugal
1830–1862
9 children are born
14 Nov 1866
Dies in Esselbach, aged 64
He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Lisbon.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
Who governed
Monarch of Portugal, 1777–1816 · Kingdom of Portugal
In the news1807–1811
The French invasions of 1807, 1809, and 1810-1811 caused widespread devastation, economic ruin, and the temporary departure of the royal family to Brazil.
Music
Nuns as skilled musicians
Nuns in monasteries were skilled musicians who played instruments like the organ, harpsichord, and harp, and they sometimes commissioned and performed complex concertato music.
In Europe · 1803–1815The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.
Daily life
Rural living and animal cohabitation
In rural homes, families sometimes lived in a single room where they slept and ate alongside their domestic animals.
In the news1808
The 1808 opening of Brazilian ports ended Portugal's colonial trade monopoly, causing a major long-term decline in the Portuguese merchant navy and economic stagnation.
What people wore
Women's practical footwear and dress
Women in the Beira Litoral region often went barefoot, carrying clogs or slippers in their hands to put on when entering towns. They would tuck up their skirts with a sash tied around their hips for ease of movement.
Getting around
Seven days from Oporto to Lisbon
In the early 19th century, traveling from Oporto to Lisbon—a distance of 52 leagues—by mule-drawn litter took about seven days.