Isabel Maria de Alcântara, Duchess of Goiás

What people wore

Festive attire and religious celebration traditions

During religious feast days, both men and women across social classes dressed in their finest attire, with women often wearing white and adorning their hair with natural flowers. In 1843, a formal masculine outfit for a festival in Belém included rosemary-colored cashmere trousers, a green frock coat, and a white gro de naples vest.

Daily life

Lack of Running Water and Sewage

Even in wealthy city homes, there was no piped water or sewage system; water was carried by enslaved people from public fountains or streams, while waste was often dumped into the street.

Music

Music in religious festivals

Religious festivals often featured processions with choirs, orchestras, and traditional groups like congados, which were pantomimic folk dances of African origin.

At the table

Dining on the floor

In many homes, especially outside the elite, families did not use tables; they sat on the floor around a mat, eating from bowls and gourds.

Getting around

Inspection fees paid in réis

Caravans crossing between Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro paid fees of 250 to 370 réis per mule to pass inspection points.