Catalina de la Cerda

What people wore

Festive Accessories for Women

On feast days, rural women decorated their modest outfits with modest silver crosses, necklaces made of jet, coral, or amber, and ribbons that adorned their chests. While they often worked barefoot, these festive accessories allowed them to appear much more elegant than on regular working days.

Daily life

Water access was a major daily effort

Most ordinary homes lacked a private well, forcing residents to carry water from the nearest public fountain. Having a private well was considered a significant luxury.

Work

Morning hiring and harsh labor control

Laborers often gathered at a designated plaza before dawn to be hired, and municipal authorities sometimes threatened strikers or those refusing to work with imprisonment.

Music

Instruments in church and processions

During Holy Week, the Church replaced bells with wooden instruments called matracas to commemorate the death of Jesus, as bells were considered the voice of Christ. Minstrels playing wind instruments like shawms, sackbuts, and flutes were also central to both sacred processions and secular street festivals.

At the table

Meat was a rare luxury

Meat was a luxury rarely eaten by the poor, and consuming it was a symbol of wealth and power, often reserved for special occasions or festivities.

Getting around

The postal relay system

The postal service system, established in the 16th century, allowed travelers to change horses at relay stations, which was considered the fastest and most advanced method of transport.

What it cost

Gender wage gap in 1553 agriculture

In 1553 Requena, male field workers earned between 34 and 68 maravedíes per day depending on the month, while women earned a fixed rate of only 17 maravedíes per day.