Infante Carlos Lorenzo of Spain

What people wore

Costly and Heavy Headpieces

In the 16th century, women in some regions wore elaborate, heavy headpieces made of linen or crepe that were so costly and uncomfortable they petitioned for them to be reformed. These headpieces were so large and oddly shaped that observers likened them to baskets of cherries or ships sailing with full wind.

Daily life

Food costs and daily wages

For the price of just one blanca—half a maravedí—it was possible to purchase 9 fresh or salted sardines. An average laborer earned about 17 maravedís per day.

Work

Agricultural labor and regulated daily wages

Many ordinary people were agricultural day laborers who worked from sunrise to sunset, often under strict municipal wage caps. In 1588, for example, Cifuentes set daily wages between 1 and 2 reales depending on the season.

Music

Popular dances and their instruments

The zarabanda was a popular but controversial folk dance accompanied by the guitar, tambourine, and castanets, and was often banned for its provocative nature. A common Spanish proverb of the time stated that there is no wedding without a tambourine (tamborino).

At the table

Aloeja and tavern drinks

A popular tavern drink was aloja, made rudimentarily from the fruits of the algarrobo and served in taverns.

Getting around

Horses and mules for travel

Travelers relied exclusively on horses for personal transport and mules for carrying luggage, as exemplified by the Venetian traveler Andrés Navagero. Navagero noted significant expenses for purchasing mules and horses for his journey.

What it cost

Rising bread prices in the 1550s

The price of a loaf of bread in Málaga surged from 7 maravedíes in 1553 to 24 maravedíes by May 1557 due to poor harvests.