Princess Isabella of Parma

Isabella of Bourbon-Parma was a princess of Parma and infanta of Spain from the House of Bourbon-Parma as the daughter of Philip, Duke of Parma, and Louise-Élisabeth of France. She became an archduchess of Austria and crown princess of Bohemia and Hungary in 1760 by her marriage to Archduke Joseph of Austria, the future Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Limited daily wardrobes

Ordinary women often owned only two sets of clothes: one for daily chores and another specifically for Sundays and feast days. Clothing was frequently made at home, where even the smallest scraps of fabric were repurposed to fit children.

The essential Spanish cape

For men, the cape was an essential garment that was never abandoned, even in death. It was so critical to one's public identity that even very poor men would be buried wearing one.

Joyful church and palace celebrations in Seville

For a 1742 celebration in Seville, a religious serenata was performed featuring a loud and joyful mix of military instruments, trumpets, cathedral music, and organs to delight the crowd. This musical performance took place at the Archbishop's Palace after a Te Deum service at the cathedral.

Private concerts and dancing in 1745 Madrid

During 1745 Carnival, guests at a private Madrid home enjoyed performances by a professional soprano, followed by guests dancing the minuet and the fandango. The events concluded with an elaborate buffet known as an ambigu.

Fast travel via post stations

In the 18th century, post stations allowed travelers to rent fresh horses at intervals of 14 to 22 kilometers, enabling speeds of up to 150 to 200 kilometers per day. This was the fastest method of travel for those who could afford it.

Slow travel by ox-drawn carts

Ordinary goods were transported by ox-drawn carts that moved slowly, often covering only 20 to 35 kilometers per day, as they frequently stopped to graze the oxen. These carts carried around 460 kilograms of goods and often traveled in groups.

Communal cooking and eating habits

Cooking was done over a hearth or small stove using ceramic pots, and ordinary people frequently ate from a single pot using spoons rather than individual sets of plates and cutlery. Bread and wine were essential daily staples, often supplemented with vegetables, legumes, or a stew called gazpacho.

Dark homes and limited lighting solutions

Homes of humble people were often very dark, as they could not afford glass for windows and instead used small openings covered with oiled paper. Wealthier households used wax candles, but most people relied on oil lamps or tallow, as wax was expensive.

Eggs and fruits in the diet

Eggs were a vital and common source of protein for rural households, which often maintained small backyard flocks. In contrast, fresh fruit was consumed frequently by all classes, often eaten at the end of meals in various forms like raw, dried, or preserved.

Staple diet of ordinary families

Ordinary families relied heavily on bread, vegetables, and legumes as their daily foundation. Meat was a luxury and often inaccessible, though poorer households might consume small amounts of inexpensive organ meats or salt-preserved fish like stockfish.

Annual meat costs for a household

To feed a household, a daily ration of two pounds of meat—split between mutton and beef—was calculated at 730 reales de vellón per year.

Cost of shoes in 18th-century Spain

A budget calculation for a clergyman in Guipuzcoa estimated the cost for three pairs of shoes per year at 48 reales de vellón.

Chocolate and daily food budgets

Chocolate was a status symbol consumed by the wealthy, with lower-class workers occasionally using it as a prestigious item for visitors; domestic servants were sometimes allotted only eight maravedís per day for food.

Diverse and informal work for urban families

Working families often included laborers such as muleteers, shoemakers, weavers, masons, and traders, while women frequently worked as street sellers of food, nurses, and seamstresses. Due to economic instability, many people simultaneously held multiple informal jobs to survive.