Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal

Music

The role of military bands

Military bands often served as the only musical groups in provincial towns, frequently teaching locals and performing in public squares and processions.

Daily life

Home life and cooking practices

Cooking was typically done over three stones as fireplaces were rare, and lighting in rural homes was provided by oil or olive oil lamps. Families often gathered in the kitchen, which served as the primary living space, to talk, read aloud, or play cards.

What it cost

Daily wages for various Portuguese workers

Wages for a day laborer in the Douro district were 200 réis, while a mason in Lisbon earned 700 réis per day.

What people wore

Saving shoes for long journeys

During the week, laborers often traveled barefoot to save their shoes for longer journeys, carrying their footwear tied to a walking stick over their shoulder.

Getting around

Slow and noisy ox carts

In rural areas, ox-drawn carts made a loud, shriek-like noise, earning them the name chilreada, and traveled at a slow pace of only 1.5 miles per hour.

At the table

Shared meals from clay bowls

Families often ate together from a single large red clay bowl, sharing vegetables, potatoes, and sometimes fried bacon or sardines, while fruit, milk, and eggs were rare as they were typically sold for income.