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Luísa, Duchess of Cadaval

1679–1732

Born
9 Jan 1679, Lisbon
Country of birth
Kingdom of Portugal, today Portugal
Died
23 Dec 1732, Évora
facts
6
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth9 Jan 1679, LisbonProbable1 source
  • Death23 Dec 1732, ÉvoraProbable1 source
  • ParentPeter II of PortugalConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Lisbon

    Birth, Lisbon

  2. Died · Évora

    Death, Évora

What was it like?

The world around Lisbon, 1679: 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.

When Luísa, was born in 1679, Lisbon belonged to the Kingdom of Portugal, ruled by Afonso VI of Portugal.

Who ruled

  • Afonso VI of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1656–1683 · Kingdom of Portugal

  • Peter II of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1683–1706 · Kingdom of Portugal

  • John V of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1706–1750 · Kingdom of Portugal

Fashion

Status Display in Merchant Wardrobes

Merchants during this period carefully curated their wardrobes to project status, often documenting expensive items like silk dresses or velvet breeches in their inventories while omitting common daily wear. Symbols of wealth and social standing included items like a crimson red woman's cape valued at 12,000 réis or a fine cloth suit costing 10,000 réis.

Music
Around 1674–1674

Epiphany music and celebrations

During Epiphany celebrations in 1674, shepherds were depicted performing comedies and celebrating with bagpipes and castanets.

Domestic dance music for amateurs

Wealthy amateurs in domestic settings played French-style dance music, adapted for instruments like the keyboard, guitar, lute, and harp. These arrangements were often facilitated by the circulation of short scores.

Getting around

Traffic chaos in 17th-century Lisbon streets

In late 17th-century Lisbon, coaches were luxury items that caused severe traffic congestion in narrow medieval streets, leading to violent disputes between elite passengers. Due to their size and the city's topography, sedan chairs and horse-litters remained the preferred transport for the quality.

Daily life

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.

Food

Cod as a Staple Food

During the late 17th century, ordinary Portuguese families relied on dried and salted cod, known as bacalhau, as an essential and affordable source of protein, especially during religious periods of abstinence like Lent. Cod was prized by the poor because it was fully utilized—from the loin to the tongue—making it economical and long-lasting in the kitchen.

Daily Diet of a Fieldworker

A 17th-century fieldworker typically consumed up to 1 kilogram of bread daily, accompanied by broth, vegetables, small amounts of meat or fish, and large quantities of wine.

Prices and wages

Lisbon olive oil price changes

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

Declining living standards in the 1600s

During the 17th century, living standards for both skilled and unskilled workers in cities like Lisbon and Coimbra declined, placing Portugal among European countries with falling living standards at the time.

Work

Stagnant wages and volatile living standards

Laborers in urban centers like Lisbon and Coimbra faced stagnant daily wages throughout the century, meaning that their living standards were almost entirely determined by volatile annual food price fluctuations. Historians estimate that workers typically worked around 250 days per year, accounting for illness and non-working days.

Tithe burdens and church grain reserves

Farmers were required to pay about ten percent of their production to the Church, often managed by local commanders who sold the yields for cash regardless of the villagers' needs. This burden was so significant that during times of scarcity, the community often relied on the Church’s grain reserves for survival or seed loans.

News and letters

Long and unreliable letter delivery times

International mail was relatively efficient compared to domestic routes, but overland travel within Portugal was notoriously slow and unreliable. Correspondence across Europe could take anywhere from one month to five months depending on conditions and the route taken.

Messengers and mule drivers delivered personal letters

Ordinary citizens relied on mule drivers and foot messengers to carry letters, as there was no organized public postal system available to them. Institutional networks, such as the Church and the Inquisition, used their own dedicated couriers to transport messages.

During their lifetime

  1. 1692

    Great Drought Disrupts Silk Industry

    A severe drought struck the country, causing major disruptions to the Portuguese silk production industry.

  2. 1703

    Anglo-Portuguese Trade Treaty of 1703

    The 1703 Methuen Treaty allowed British woolens to be imported duty-free while granting Portuguese wine lower duties in England.

  3. 1724

    Devastating 1724 storm hits Lisbon

    A massive windstorm and rain event on November 19, 1724, caused widespread destruction in Lisbon and beyond, killing over 160 people.

Family

Parents

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.