John of Aragon, Prince of Girona

What people wore

Men's Hairstyles and Layered Robes

Men often grew long beards and hair, sometimes styling the tips into curls. Clothing could be layered, with high-status individuals wearing a pellizón, which was a long robe with wide, loose sleeves that could be knotted at the ends.

Daily life

Household as the center of life

The household served as the primary center for education, work, and life, with tasks like laundry and water fetching falling to women and domestic servants.

Work

Seasonal and domestic labor rhythms

Daily life followed seasonal tasks like the pig slaughter in November, a scene frequently depicted in medieval carvings and paintings. Household chores often centered around the hearth, where servants and family members performed tasks like drying laundry.

Music

Cathedral music and instrument maintenance

In the Pamplona Cathedral during the early 16th century, musicians such as chirimia players were officially employed, and payments for instrument maintenance, like repairing a bajon, were recorded in ducats.

At the table

Large feasts and local wine consumption

Ordinary people often held large feasts after mass, consuming lamb, veal, and wine from local towns like Artajona and Olite. These communal meals were so common that they were eventually restricted by law in 1757 to prevent excessive spending and disorder.

Getting around

Traveling primarily on foot

Ordinary people primarily traveled on foot, covering a maximum distance of 40 to 50 kilometers in a single day.

What it cost

Wheat and Bread as Basic Staples

Bread was the most appreciated food, with wheat being the basic crop; however, poor harvests frequently led to tragic famines.