Paula de Odivelas

Mother Paula of Odivelas was a Portuguese nun and royal mistress.

Maintaining appearances with limited clothing

Social strivers would meticulously maintain their limited clothing, washing and soaping collars and cuffs, and using animal fat to keep shoes looking shiny even when the soles were worn through. They also applied powders to their hats to mask age and wear, aiming to project an appearance of higher status.

Simple and borrowed festive wear for fishermen

Fishermen wore simple, uniform clothing including linen drawers, a woolen hat, and a sleeveless vest, adding a jacket only in cold weather. On feast days, they upgraded to a suit with silver shoe buckles and striped cotton stockings, often borrowed from relatives if they did not own one.

Instruments in royal and public life

Musicians used wind and percussion instruments, such as trumpets, shawms (charamelas), and timbales, to provide harmonic accompaniment for court ceremonies and public processions. These ensembles played at royal river excursions on the Tagus and during festive street celebrations.

Villancicos in church and festivals

Villancicos, which often depicted characters like sailors, soldiers, slaves, and gypsies, were sung during major church feasts such as Christmas and Epiphany. They incorporated theatrical elements with costumes, gestures, and simulated dances representing peasants and various cultural groups.

Daily travel distances were limited

A standard daily distance for a hurried group with horses was about 40 kilometers, though speeds were much lower if using oxen.

Main modes of transport were primitive

During this period, most people traveled on foot, on horseback, on mules, or by boat, as there were no railways or regular stagecoach lines.

Cooking Tools and Costs

While ceramic cooking pots were common and cost about 5 réis each, metal pots were considered expensive items. Poor families often relied on simple hearths for cooking, as specialized fireplaces were comparatively rare in the Portuguese climate.

The Multipurpose Rural Home and Hearth

In rural homes, the fireplace was the central point for cooking, resting, and daily family life, often situated on a ground floor of packed earth. Households frequently consisted of a single room where furniture served multiple purposes, such as tables used for both eating and seating.

Daily bread rations for staff

In 1707, individuals serving as household staff at the Real Colégio de São Paulo in Coimbra received a daily ration of four loaves of bread for their two main meals.

Bread used as a thickener

To thicken broths and stews, a common practice was using bread; for instance, a fish stuffing recipe included five réis of breadcrumbs.

Wheat rent in early 18th-century Avis

In 1700, a resident of the town of Avis paid a tax of 520 réis for the wheat he owed as rent on a farm.

Lisbon olive oil price changes

Olive oil prices in Lisbon remained constant until 1670, then declined until about 1692 before beginning a steady rise.