Infanta Maria da Glória of Portugal

Music

Music and work festivities

During collective agricultural work like rye threshing or grape harvests, friends and neighbors would gather to help, always ending the day with festivities, music, and dancing. Large farms often hosted these parties, with landlords providing wine and inviting the best local musicians and singers.

At the table

Common rural diet and shared meals

Ordinary rural families frequently ate from a large, shared earthenware bowl containing vegetables and potatoes, often seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, pork fat, or salted sardines. Bread, specifically corn bread (broa), was a staple consumed daily and often kept fresh for a week.

Daily life

Cooking and diet basics

Common people cooked their meals over an open fire, often using three stones or basic hearths without chimneys, while water was generally not piped into their homes. Diet for laborers was simple, consisting primarily of bread, vegetables, bacon, and occasionally sardines or cod.

What people wore

Practical Habits for Preserving Clothing

To preserve their footwear during long journeys, men would carry their boots or shoes slung over their shoulders on a staff and walk barefoot, only putting them on upon reaching their destination. Similarly, women in some regions would lift and pin their heavy skirts while working to facilitate movement and protect the fabric.

Getting around

Hiring Mules and Drivers

Travelers often rode mules, which were paid up to 12 testoons per day; the driver (arrieiro) was expected to be paid 240 réis per day in addition to his food.

What it cost

Low wages for Porto factory workers

In Porto, factory workers earned an average of 420 réis per day in the late 19th century, while young female workers often received only about 40 réis, which was not enough to purchase a single kilogram of bread.