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Isabel, Duchess of Braganza

b. 1966

Born
22 Nov 1966, Lisbon
Country of birth
Portugal

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
5
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born · Lisbon

    Birth, Lisbon

  2. Child born: Afonso, Prince of Beira

    Birth, Lisbon

  3. Child born: Maria Francisca, Duchess of Coimbra

    Birth, Lisbon

  4. Child born: Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto

    Birth, Lisbon

What was it like?

The world around Lisbon, 1966: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Children often went to school barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands to ensure they would not wear out.

Who ruled

  • Américo Tomás

    President of Portugal, 1958–1974 · Portuguese Republic

  • António de Spínola

    President of Portugal, 1974 · Portuguese Republic

  • Q348880

    President of Portugal, 1974–1976 · Portuguese Republic

Fashion

Children carried shoes to school

Children often went to school barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands to ensure they would not wear out.

Fishermen's wool hats served as pockets

Fishermen carried tobacco, rolling papers, and matches inside their black woolen barretes, which featured a long end hanging over the shoulder.

Music

Brass Bands at Catholic Liturgies

At the Pocariça Festival, local brass bands performed during religious liturgies in the 1950s, despite earlier church rules that prohibited such instruments in these settings.

Popular Marches in Lisbon

Popular marches were held in Lisbon every June, often becoming a competitive event between neighbourhoods that faced strict official judging criteria for their joyful and upstanding qualities.

Getting around

Driving speeds on old national roads

While early car travelers could reach speeds of over 120 km/h, average speeds on Portugal's narrow, winding national roads were often below 30 km/h, with Porto to Lisbon trips typically taking up to five hours.

Around 1970–1970

Comparing travel costs between Lisbon and Évora

A journey from Lisbon to Évora by train or bus took about 3 hours and 30 minutes, with the bus being cheaper at 20$00 to 30$00 compared to 70$00 to 80$00 for first-class train tickets.

Daily life

Basic rural home infrastructure and daily tasks

Most rural homes lacked electricity and running water, forcing women to carry water from public fountains in jars balanced on their heads. At night, houses were lit by oil lamps or the fireplace, as electricity was rare in villages until late in the period.

Improvised sugar pacifiers for infants

Mothers created improvised pacifiers for infants by tying sugar inside a small white cloth. These sugar dolls kept babies quiet while their older siblings and parents worked long hours in the fields.

Food

Memorable daily habits and simple luxuries

In poorer regions, some families relied on soup made of wine, bread, and sugar, known as 'sopas de cavalo cansado', or began their days in cold climates with a glass of pure brandy called 'mata-bicho'. Staples like yogurt and chocolate spreads were either homemade or considered expensive delicacies, with products like 'Tulicreme' only appearing as a luxury for some families in the late 1960s.

Rise of urban snack bars and canteens

In cities, particularly from the 1950s onwards, snack bars became a common habit for workers and professionals, offering quick meals at modest prices. While some urban families maintained traditional home cooking, others increasingly relied on these new establishments or work canteens to save time.

Prices and wages

Basic food prices in the mid-century

During the 1950s and 1960s, a simple bread roll cost 4 tostões, while a kilogram of Norwegian cod was priced at 20 escudos.

Around 1974–1974

Introduction of the minimum wage in 1974

In May 1974, Portugal established its first national minimum wage, which was set at 3,300 escudos per month.

Work

Heating lunches in factories

Factory workers often heated their aluminum lunchboxes using alcohol placed in polish tins under a wooden plank with four nails.

Low wages for large families

In Setúbal, a worker earned 20 escudos per day, an amount intended to sustain a family often numbering more than ten people.

News and letters

Telephone network automation during the mid-century

Following post-WWII stagnation, telephone network automation intensified across Portugal throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Around 1974–1974

Telegram and Teleprinter usage in 1974

By 1974, the number of teleprinter stations in Portugal reached 2,861, with over 4.5 million telegrams sent that year alone.

During their lifetime

  1. 1973

    1973 Oil Crisis impact in Portugal

    The OPEC oil embargo caused fuel shortages and queues at petrol stations, as oil supplied three-quarters of Portugal's primary energy.

  2. 1974

    The 25 April Revolution ends dictatorship

    The 25 April Revolution ended the dictatorship and colonial rule, triggering major social, political, and economic changes, including the introduction of a minimum wage.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.