Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal

Music

The role of military bands

Military bands often served as the only musical groups in provincial towns, frequently teaching locals and performing in public squares and processions.

Daily life

Home life and cooking practices

Cooking was typically done over three stones as fireplaces were rare, and lighting in rural homes was provided by oil or olive oil lamps. Families often gathered in the kitchen, which served as the primary living space, to talk, read aloud, or play cards.

What it cost

Long working hours for low pay

Women working in fields could earn one shilling a day or less for shifts of up to sixteen hours.

What people wore

Saving shoes for long journeys

During the week, laborers often traveled barefoot to save their shoes for longer journeys, carrying their footwear tied to a walking stick over their shoulder.

Getting around

Slow and noisy ox carts

In rural areas, ox-drawn carts made a loud, shriek-like noise, earning them the name chilreada, and traveled at a slow pace of only 1.5 miles per hour.

At the table

Shared meals from clay bowls

Families often ate together from a single large red clay bowl, sharing vegetables, potatoes, and sometimes fried bacon or sardines, while fruit, milk, and eggs were rare as they were typically sold for income.