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Maria von Habsburg

1655–1655

Born
7 Dec 1655, Madrid
Country of birth
Spain
Died
20 Dec 1655, Madrid
facts
8
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth7 Dec 1655, MadridProbable1 source
  • Death20 Dec 1655, MadridProbable1 source
  • Eventinfant deathConfirmed1 source
  • ParentPhilip IV of SpainConfirmed1 source
  • ParentMariana of AustriaConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Madrid

    Birth, Madrid

  2. Died · Madrid

    Death, Madrid

What was it like?

The world around Madrid, 1655: 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.

At mid-century, men's fashion favored extremely tight garments, such as the jubón (doublet) and ropilla, often making it difficult to fasten clothing or move comfortably. Fashionable men wore stockings so thin that they were barely visible, and shoes often had to be force-fitted by cobblers to achieve the required tight look.

Known for

In their life

  • infant death
Fashion

Extremely tight and uncomfortable male fashion

At mid-century, men's fashion favored extremely tight garments, such as the jubón (doublet) and ropilla, often making it difficult to fasten clothing or move comfortably. Fashionable men wore stockings so thin that they were barely visible, and shoes often had to be force-fitted by cobblers to achieve the required tight look.

Cost of fashionable accessories in reales

In 1680, a vara (roughly 84 cm) of smoke-colored fabric for a mantle was valued at seven and a half reales, while a luxurious fan could cost as much as six escudos. These prices illustrate the significant investment required for fashionable accessories, which were sometimes bought at the expense of necessities like basic clothing for the poor.

Music

Church music featured multi-choir villancicos

Religious festivals like Corpus Christi featured elaborate musical performances in churches, including villancicos sung by multiple choirs accompanied by instruments.

Provocative dances dominated social life

Popular, provocative dances like the zarabanda and chacona originated in the streets and were often criticized for their lascivious nature, yet they remained immensely popular.

Getting around

Carriage travel and incidents in mid-17th century Madrid

Travel by carriage was largely reserved for the wealthy or noble; these vehicles were uncomfortable as they lacked suspension and had their body fixed to the wheel axles. Traffic congestion in Madrid was severe enough that in January 1655, a dispute over a coach accident led an offended noble to attack the governor's mules with a sword.

Common modes of travel in mid-17th century Spain

During the mid-17th century, ordinary people primarily traveled on foot or horseback. Specialized transport like litters, pulled by mules, or human-powered sedan chairs were used in exceptional cases.

Daily life

Home-based education and skills training

Education for children was primarily home-based, where they acquired basic life skills, religious practices, and labor training from their families.

Waste management and public hygiene regulations

Many ordinary homes lacked indoor toilets, forcing residents to throw human waste into the streets at night, which was punishable by fines and exile.

Food

Meat was a rare luxury

Meat was a luxury for ordinary people, with beef being preferred because it was one-third cheaper than mutton. Many families survived on a mostly vegetarian diet of bread, legumes, and vegetables.

Subsisting on chestnuts and herbs

In some regions, such as Asturias, when grain was scarce, families subsisted for six or more months a year on chestnuts, nuts, and wild herbs. These natural resources were essential for survival when bread, the dietary staple, was unavailable.

Prices and wages
Around 1650–1650

Worker income and book prices in 1650

A Castilian laborer earned 13,300 maravedíes annually in 1650, meaning a week of wages could purchase a copy of Góngora's complete works.

Around 1665–1665

Cost of bread and beef in 1665

In 1665, a pound of bread cost 37.6 maravedíes, while a kilogram of beef cost 52 maravedíes.

Work

Wages and benefits in diverse roles

Field laborers earned between 30 maravedíes and 3.5 reales per day, while some apprentices had contracts specifying they would earn 10 reales per month after four years of training. Household servants received food, drink, a bed, and washed clothes in addition to annual salaries that could reach 473 reales.

Young girls in olive harvesting crews

The most frequent age for a girl to start working as an olive picker was 13 years old, and some started as young as 6. Late marriage at age 24 was common for these workers, compared to those who did not participate in this labor market.

News and letters

Secret letters hidden in jars and water

To ensure delivery of urgent or secret messages, people sometimes concealed letters inside objects like jars of preserves or hid them inside water jugs, attaching them to stones so they would sink if lost.

Seville to Medina mail took eight days

Between 1560 and 1606, mail between Seville and Medina del Campo was carried by a weekly ordinary postal service, typically taking no more than eight days, though it could take up to fifteen days. The cost for sending each letter was one real.

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.