María Luisa de Borbón y Vallabriga

What people wore

Essential outdoor attire for women

Regardless of social class, women wore a black basquiña skirt and a mantilla over their other clothes when going out in public or to church. These garments were considered so essential that they were present in every dowry, whether from a wealthy or modest family.

Getting around

Carriages and mule travel options

A traveler seeking economy might hire a light carriage called a volante, paying about six to nine livres per day for the machine and a mule to travel eight to ten leagues daily. Alternatively, those crossing bandit-prone areas could ride on a mule with common carriers, occupying the space otherwise used for a bale of goods.

At the table

Diet of the Laboring Poor

Poor laborers often ate soup with oil or cornmeal porridge in the morning and legumes or salted sardines at midday. Wine was considered expensive, so these families typically drank it only on feast days, sometimes to excess.

Music

Guitar and Castanets in Popular Life

The guitar was the most popular instrument among ordinary people, frequently used to accompany singing and dancing at home, in streets, and at festivals. Dancers often played simple castanets held in their palms to accompany themselves during performances.

Daily life

Difficult access to water supplies

Water was a daily constraint for ordinary people who lacked piped access and often fetched it from public fountains or bought it from water carriers. To supplement supplies, households collected rainwater in cisterns or relied on local wells, requiring significant manual labor to provision for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.

What it cost

Domestic servant wages and perks

In the late 18th century, a maid working for a family typically earned 24 reales per month in addition to her meals and chocolate.