Supply and fish consumption: some aspects of daily life in Lisbon of the 14th and 15th centuries

Abstract

The big city needs supplies for its survival. This is known by its inhabitants and, above all, by its political leader who are responsible for making decisions on this matter. In Lisbon, planted next to the Tejo in plain sight of the sea, one of the products of its daily life is naturally the fish. Fish of the river and of the sea, and also shellfish, subject to different forms of capture with techniques learned
over generations, assuring nourishment in meat-free days and in all the others, when the lack of money or social status doesn’t suffice to guarantee the access to the desirable foods. In times of abundance and especially in times of shortage, it is fundamental to ensure that the quantity and quality of food arriving at the places of sale are assured. Superintending the conditions of distribution, penalizing abusive practices for public health and hygiene are priorities that mediaeval document sources echo.