Maria Luisa de Borbón

1777–1782

Born: 11 Sep 1777, Real Sitio de San Ildefonso
Country of birth: Spain
Died: 2 Jul 1782, Real Sitio de San Ildefonso

facts: 7
sources: 1
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Facts and their sources

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Birth11 Sep 1777, Real Sitio de San IldefonsoProbable1 source
Death2 Jul 1782, Real Sitio de San IldefonsoProbable1 source
ParentCharles IV of SpainConfirmed1 source
ParentMaria Luisa of ParmaConfirmed1 source

A life in time

11 Sep 1777
Born · Real Sitio de San Ildefonso
Birth, Real Sitio de San Ildefonso
2 Jul 1782
Died · Real Sitio de San Ildefonso
Death, Real Sitio de San Ildefonso

What was it like?

The world around Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, 1777: 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.

Maria was born the same year as Filippo Taglioni, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and Alexander I of Russia.

Born the same year

Filippo Taglioni
ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer
Carl Friedrich Gauss
German mathematician and physicist (1777–1855)
Alexander I of Russia
The tenth Emperor of Russia (1777–1825)
Hans Christian Ørsted
Danish physicist and chemist (1777-1851)
Désirée Clary
Queen of Sweden and Norway as the consort of Charles XIV John
Henry Clay
American politician from Kentucky (1777-1852)

Fashion

Clothing as a rare, valuable commodity

Clothing was a valuable asset; poor individuals often had only two outfits, and even rags full of lice were carefully recorded to be sold at public auctions after their death.

The essential Spanish national costume

Women of all social classes wore a black skirt called a basquiña and a head-covering shawl called a mantilla when going out in public or to church, removing them immediately upon entering a home.

Music

Guitar and Castanets in Popular Life

The guitar was the most popular instrument among ordinary people, frequently used to accompany singing and dancing at home, in streets, and at festivals. Dancers often played simple castanets held in their palms to accompany themselves during performances.

Home Parties and Popular Dances

Seguidillas and fandangos were iconic dances often held in private homes during informal parties called bailes de candil. These lively gatherings featured music from guitars, violins, and bandurrias, providing entertainment for neighborhoods.

Getting around

Carriages and mule travel options

A traveler seeking economy might hire a light carriage called a volante, paying about six to nine livres per day for the machine and a mule to travel eight to ten leagues daily. Alternatively, those crossing bandit-prone areas could ride on a mule with common carriers, occupying the space otherwise used for a bale of goods.

Post riders travelled quickly between stations

Travelers could ride as post, which was the fastest and most advanced way to move around Spain, covering 36 to 48 kilometers per day on average. Riders moved between postal stations, typically 14 to 22 kilometers apart, aiming to spend only 45 minutes per league traveled.

Daily life

Cooking and food reliance in modest homes

Cooking in humble homes was typically performed in a multi-use kitchen area equipped with straw chairs, a wooden table, and basic cooking utensils. Bread and wine were the primary staples, and because many poor households lacked space or fuel, people often relied on buying prepared food from vendors, such as fried fish, fritters, or chickpeas.

Dark homes and low-quality lighting

Ordinary homes were dark and often lacked glass windows, which were expensive; many families covered small window openings with oiled paper for light. Illumination at night relied on candles, which in poor households were low-quality and produced unpleasant odors and health risks.

Food

Around 1767–1767

The Cost of Daily Bread in Madrid

In 18th-century Madrid, bread was the dietary staple, with an individual consuming about 390 grams daily. Following a 1767 price increase, standard wheat bread cost 11 cuartos, while refined French or candeal bread cost 12 cuartos.

Diet of the Laboring Poor

Poor laborers often ate soup with oil or cornmeal porridge in the morning and legumes or salted sardines at midday. Wine was considered expensive, so these families typically drank it only on feast days, sometimes to excess.

Prices and wages

Domestic servant wages and perks

In the late 18th century, a maid working for a family typically earned 24 reales per month in addition to her meals and chocolate.

Food prices for ordinary families

Food prices varied significantly; for example, a chicken cost 8 reales, while a pound of beef or mutton cost 2 reales.

Work

Around 1774–1774

Coping with Daily Hardship

In 1774, a blind man selling gazettes in Madrid explained his frequent drinking by telling officials he had a bad life and needed to forget it.

Common jobs for ordinary people

Common jobs for ordinary people included day laborers, domestic servants, and various tradespeople like shoemakers, weavers, and masons. Women frequently worked as street vendors, laundresses, and embroidery workers to support their families.

News and letters

Around 1775–1775

Mail schedules in 18th-century Dénia

In 1775, mail arrived in Dénia from its main administration center on Wednesdays and Sundays, departing on Mondays and Thursdays.

Variable costs for letters

Mail delivery costs were not uniform; the recipient paid based on the weight of the letter and the distance it had traveled.

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.