Isabella Teresa von Habsburg

At the table

Wine as a staple drink

Wine was considered a primary necessity and healthier than water, which was often contaminated; people frequently drank it diluted with water to gain calories and mitigate thirst.

What people wore

The Unbuttoning Taboo

Men in 17th-century Spain were so committed to etiquette that they believed it was a noble affront to ever unbutton their doublet and reveal their shirt, even during a fight.

Getting around

Uncomfortable early carriages

Early seventeenth-century carriages were uncomfortable because their bodies were fixed directly to the axles, lacking any suspension.

Work

Wages for field laborers and servants

Farm laborers working as live-in servants often earned an annual salary of up to 32 reales, while daily field workers typically earned between 30 maravedíes and 3.5 reales per day plus wine.

Music

Musical Instruments for Domestic Education

In domestic settings, keyboard instruments, the guitar, and the harp were the preferred instruments for the musical education of women.

Daily life

Accessing water for daily use

While wealthy households might have a private well, most ordinary families had to carry water from the nearest public fountain to their homes.