Infanta Maria Eugenia of Spain

At the table

Survival diet using chestnuts and nuts

In some northern regions of Spain, when grain was scarce, families survived for six months or more by eating chestnuts, nuts, and various wild fruits and herbs. This reliance on non-grain staples was a common adaptation to regional food shortages.

What people wore

The high cost of fashionable hats

A beaver hat from Paris could be so expensive that its cost equaled the price of six mantles for poor widows to attend mass.

Getting around

Fast travel via relay horses

Travel via the post system was the fastest method, with royal mail and some travelers using relay horses to reach speeds covering 150 to 200 kilometers per day. A trip from Seville to Madrid, for example, was expected to be completed in two days and eighteen hours.

Work

Working hours and contract benefits

Laborers were required to work from sunrise to sunset, which meant starting at 6:00 AM in the summer and 7:00 AM in the winter. Employers were often obligated to provide not just a wage, but also meals, wine, and sometimes clothing or housing as part of the employment contract.

Music

The controversial zarabanda dance

The zarabanda was a popular but controversial dance known for its lascivious movements, often accompanied by singing, guitar, tambourine, and castanets.

Daily life

Cooking in the kitchen

Cooking was done over low-burning fireplaces, using iron trivets to support pots or a "llar" chain to hang caldrons. Food was often prepared and eaten in the kitchen, which served as a primary gathering space for poorer families.