Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain

Barbara of Portugal was an Infanta of Portugal, and Queen consort of Spain by marriage to Ferdinand VI. She had a good relationship with Ferdinand and is known for her influence over the affairs of state.

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.

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.

Daily diet of a fieldworker

A 17th-century fieldworker could consume up to 1 kilogram of bread daily, along with broth, vegetables, small amounts of meat or fish, and significant quantities of wine.

Property taxes for Arraiolos farmers

In 1715, "seareiros" (tenant farmers) in Arraiolos were assigned a property tax of 1,500 réis for their land, with an additional 200 réis for one individual's production equipment.

Day labor in agriculture was most common

Most ordinary people worked as day laborers in agriculture, performing tasks like olive harvesting, weeding, and carrying heavy loads from dawn until dusk.

Enslaved women performed essential cleaning work

Enslaved women in Lisbon, known as calhandreiras, performed the exhausting task of carrying heavy ceramic pots of household rubbish and dirty water to the river every morning.

Armed postal carriers defending the mail

Postal carriers were frequently authorized to carry swords or daggers, day and night, to defend themselves and the mail against bandits on dangerous roads.

Long delivery times for international letters

During the early 18th century, letters between major European cities like The Hague and Barcelona often took between one and five months to arrive.