Joana Manuel de Noronha

Getting around

Travel Methods and Social Class Restrictions

Travelers commonly used horses or mules for transport, while ordinary people typically traveled on foot or by donkey because riding a mule was a status symbol reserved for nobility, clergy, and military leaders until the 16th century.

What it cost

Higher Bread Costs in Cities

In urban centers like Lisbon, Funchal, and Algarve towns, the cost of daily bread was twice as high as it was in rural agricultural areas.

What people wore

Ceremonial dress and mourning attire

Ceremonial clothing in the early sixteenth century was often heavy, uncomfortable, and designed solely to be looked at, intentionally preventing the wearer from performing simple daily tasks. During this period, mourners wore coarse fabrics like burel, almáfega, and vaso as a form of penance.

Daily life

Water often came via vendors

Alongside wells/cisterns, everyday water supply could be handled by water-sellers (aguadeiros), including delivery methods like carts that carried pots of water.

Work

Common jobs in Portugal

Seafaring, shipbuilding, and related trades like rope and sail manufacturing were major industries, alongside agricultural work, food supply, and craft professions.

Music

Music on board ship expeditions

Long-distance maritime expeditions, such as Pedro Álvares Cabral's 1500 voyage, included musicians playing instruments like trumpets, drums, flutes, and bagpipes.

At the table

Common Foods and Market Delicacies

Sardines were a common and affordable fish for the poor, whereas fresh dairy products like cheese, cream, and milk-bread were sold in markets or by street vendors, sometimes adulterated with water. For sweet treats, ordinary people enjoyed honey-based items like alféloas and pinhoada.