Skip to content
VitrineRoyal Houses of Europe
Sign in

Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal

1887–1887

Born
14 Dec 1887, Vila Viçosa
Country of birth
Kingdom of Portugal, today Portugal
Died
14 Dec 1887, Vila Viçosa
facts
8
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth14 Dec 1887, Vila ViçosaProbable1 source
  • Death14 Dec 1887, Vila ViçosaProbable1 source
  • Eventdied on day of birthConfirmed1 source
  • ParentCarlos I of PortugalConfirmed1 source
  • ParentAmélie of OrléansConfirmed1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Vila Viçosa

    Birth, Vila Viçosa

  2. Died · Vila Viçosa

    Death, Vila Viçosa

What was it like?

The world around Vila Viçosa, 1887: 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 Infanta was born in 1887, Vila Viçosa belonged to the Kingdom of Portugal, ruled by Luís I of Portugal.

Known for

In their life

  • died on day of birth
Who ruled

  • Luís I of Portugal

    Monarch of Portugal, 1861–1889 · Kingdom of Portugal

Born around the same time

  • Fernando Pessoa

    1888 · Portuguese poet, writer, and philosopher (1888–1935); creator of the heteronymic system including Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis, Álvaro de Campos, and Bernardo Soares

  • António de Oliveira Salazar

    1889 · Prime Minister of Portugal (1889-1970)

  • Charlie Chaplin

    1889 · English actor and filmmaker (1889–1977)

  • Boris Pasternak

    1890 · Russian writer (1890–1960)

  • Jean Cocteau

    1889 · French writer and film director (1889–1963)

  • Niels Bohr

    1885 · Danish physicist (1885–1962)

Fashion

Generational inheritance of Sunday clothing

Fishermen in the late 19th century owned very few sets of clothes; their Sunday best was often handed down through generations, passing from parents to children and even to grandchildren.

Personalized clothing marks

Rural villagers expressed individuality and status by marking their clothing with initials, with men often embroidering them on the chest of their linen shirts and women on their aprons.

Music

Music in the home and theater

Influential families regularly organized private dinner parties and concerts at home, while urban centers saw a boom in theater construction throughout the late nineteenth century.

The role of military bands

Military bands often served as the only musical groups in provincial towns, frequently teaching locals and performing in public squares and processions.

Getting around

Railway revolutionised travel speed to Cascais

By 1895, the railway between Lisbon and Cascais cut travel speeds from 9.5 km/h to about 40 km/h, turning a grueling journey into a 50-minute trip.

Slow and noisy ox carts

In rural areas, ox-drawn carts made a loud, shriek-like noise, earning them the name chilreada, and traveled at a slow pace of only 1.5 miles per hour.

Daily life

Crowded conditions for the working class

Homes for the working class were often crowded, old, and lacked basic hygiene, with some families living in single rooms without tap water or proper sewage. In cities, poor families often resided in tenement-like structures known as pátios in Lisbon or ilhas in Porto.

Home life and cooking practices

Cooking was typically done over three stones as fireplaces were rare, and lighting in rural homes was provided by oil or olive oil lamps. Families often gathered in the kitchen, which served as the primary living space, to talk, read aloud, or play cards.

Food

Broa as a daily staple for families

Ordinary rural families relied on 'broa' (corn bread) as a staple, often eating it with olives, fried bacon, or canned sardines, while wheat bread was reserved for special occasions.

Early morning meal 'mata-bicho'

Rural workers often started their day with a small, modest meal known as 'mata-bicho', typically consisting of bread, olives, or bacon, sometimes accompanied by a drink of strong spirits like aguardente.

Prices and wages

Daily wages for various Portuguese workers

Wages for a day laborer in the Douro district were 200 réis, while a mason in Lisbon earned 700 réis per day.

Long working hours for low pay

Women working in fields could earn one shilling a day or less for shifts of up to sixteen hours.

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.