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Iñaki Urdangarin

b. 1968

Born
15 Jan 1968, Zumarraga
Country of birth
Spain

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

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sources
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Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born · Zumarraga

    Birth, Zumarraga

What was it like?

The world around Zumarraga, 1968: 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.

The "Sunday of rags" was a weekly ritual where families wore their best clothes to mass and walked in town to simulate a higher social status.

Fashion

Sunday ritual of dressing up

The "Sunday of rags" was a weekly ritual where families wore their best clothes to mass and walked in town to simulate a higher social status.

Head covering requirements for women in Mass

After 1939, women were officially required to cover their heads with a veil or mantilla when attending Mass.

Music

Holy Week Drumming in Aragon

During Holy Week in Aragon, the 'Tamborrada' involves a deafening, continuous sound produced by drums and bass drums from Thursday or Friday until Saturday.

New Year's Eve Grape Tradition

On New Year's Eve, it is considered lucky in Spain to eat one grape on each stroke of midnight, totaling twelve grapes for the twelve months of the year.

Getting around
Around 1950–1964

Long rail travel times in the 1950s

In the 1950s, rapid express trains like the Sevillano took 19 to 20 hours to travel from Barcelona to Seville, often slowing to 20 km/h on tracks under repair.

Around 1975–1999

Limited daily mail train services

In 1979, the Correo (mail train) on the Ponferrada-Villablino line ran only once daily in each direction, and travellers had to adapt their schedules to the train's limited service. Some routes required walking or using lifts from others to reach railway connections.

Daily life

Education and Political Control

Schooling was strictly segregated by gender, and girls were primarily trained for domestic roles instead of academic subjects. Catholic religious instruction and the display of regime symbols, such as portraits of Franco, were mandatory in every classroom and home.

Around 1976–1976

Cooking and kitchen water in 1976

In the kitchen, the butane gas cylinder was queen, powering the stove, while faucets still required turning two separate knobs for hot and cold water.

Food
Around 1950–1959

Farinetes: a staple porridge for children

A common dish for working-class children was farinetes, a slow-digesting porridge made of flour, water, salt, and a dash of oil, often eaten both morning and night.

Around 1975–1999

Changing social norms and water access

In the late 20th century, social norms restricted women's drinking in public, and many women drank beer or wine in secret. Public access to piped water was also a relatively recent development for some, as some villages did not have running water in every home until the 1970s.

Prices and wages

Crafting shoes took 12 hours of work

Shoemakers in rural areas crafted shoes by hand over approximately 12 hours of labor, charging 140 pesetas for rustic field shoes and 300 pesetas for finer pairs.

Around 1962–1962

Meat prices in 1962 Barcelona

In 1962 Barcelona, meat prices included veal at 21.64 pesetas per kilo and chicken at 38.28 pesetas per kilo, significantly impacting a family's budget.

Work

Long hours and multiple jobs for survival

Due to insufficient wages, families often relied on multiple jobs (pluriempleo) and long hours, extending the workday to the limit of physical endurance. Many workers also took on extra shifts to avoid the need for hiring additional staff, as layoffs were difficult.

Low wages and complex bonus systems

To cope with low base wages, workers relied on various bonuses and overtime, which sometimes accounted for over 50 percent of their total earnings. In the 1960s, a worker in construction might earn around 1,600 pesetas a month, while an industrial worker earned about 2,500 pesetas.

News and letters

Mail Delivery Times and Methods

In the 1960s and 1970s, mail delivery between towns was often handled by public transport companies, with mail collected in the morning and delivered in the afternoon. Average delivery time for letters between provinces like Cordoba and Jaen was typically one day.

Around 1950–1959

The Postman as a Local Hub

In small towns during the 1950s, the postman's house often served as the local post office, where residents collected mail and sent letters. Because of high illiteracy, postmen frequently assisted locals by reading or writing their letters for them.

Family

Parents

Spouses

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.