15+ Incredible Facts About Life In Palaces And Castles That Movies Don’t Tell

When we watch movies and series, we are often fascinated by the scenery: chic lounges, secret passages, stunning rooms and warm fireplaces. But in reality, life in palaces and castles was not as romantic as we tend to think.

We, from awesome.club, we decided to find out what is really true about life in these luxurious residences. And in the end, one bonus with a super interesting curiosity about cats in the Middle Ages. Check out!

First of all, it is necessary to understand the concepts of “castle” and “palace”. And the difference is not whether or not you have towers. O castle it was built primarily for defense, which means it has thick walls, heavy gates, watchtowers and defensive moats. On the other hand, the palace it is a place for a peaceful life. There are ballrooms, dining rooms, throne rooms and it’s extremely luxurious. So castles were a far from cozy place. They were huge, cold buildings, constantly drafty, and dark all the time. The light it had came from the small windows, which often did not have glass, since at that time not everyone could afford it.

Palaces and castles were warmed by fireplaces. And to keep in the heat, the walls were lined with fabrics and tapestries. Is roof it was placed over beds to protect from drafts. Tapestries often depicted historical and religious themes. One of the advantages of such decorations is that they were easy to transport and, if desired, could be moved to another room. Owners of castles and palaces often took them on trips.🇧🇷

Life in a palace or castle was very hectic. Castles were not the permanent home of the nobility. The rich could afford to move out with all their servants and utensils. It wasn’t just family members who traveled. The number of people in transit varied from 30 to 150. Of course, the owners had to take not only the children with them, but also the staff, nannies and other employees.All housework was done the hand, so castles and palaces housed a large number of servants, especially if the owner was there. Countess Joan of Munchensi, for example, kept around 100 servants in her small castle at Goodrich. In addition to high-ranking people and servants, many other people lived in the castles. Palaces often had their own priest. With so many hungry mouths, cooks had to work hard. In the same castle as Goodrich, the Countess’s cook fed 200 people twice a day🇧🇷 In addition, the menu included complex dishes that we practically do not eat today. Swans, peacocks, larks and herons were some of the food prepared for the feasts.

King Henry VIII led a real war against stink and dirt. He even issued a decree forbidding cooks to work naked or in dirty clothes and to sleep on the floor near the fireplace. He is considered one of the cleanest rulers. So much so that, when he and his entourage went to another of his residences, the “great cleaning” began: the castle was ventilated and the residues accumulated in the tanks were eliminated.To prevent the servants from urinating in the garden, King Henry VIII ordered to place red crosses in prohibited areas🇧🇷 But instead of using the bathrooms, the servants began to purposely go to the places marked by the king. Filth was not exclusive to the English court. When Katarina II arrived in Russia, she was shocked by what she saw: “It is not uncommon to see a lady in splendid clothes and full of jewels come out of an immense garden all covered in mud and dirt, and with a fancy carriage being pulled by six old mares and unkempt servants”.

There were rat infestations in palaces and castles. Buckingham Palace, for example, has faced rodents since the reign of Queen Victoria. A special profession was even created at the time: the rat catcher. They used traps, poisons and cats to fight pests. Of course, these professionals didn’t use flutes to attract rodents—that’s just a popular myth. The palaces didn’t smell good at all. A lot of dirty things were kept in the rooms, and the inhabitants themselves were not very fond of water. People often did not bother to look for a suitable place to relieve themselves and defecated where they were. Even in the Louvre, it was possible to find excrement everywhere: on the stairs and even behind the doors. room located outside the castle. There was also a portable toilet — which was a chair with a hole in the middle.

Undoubtedly, palaces had secret passages and rooms. They were necessary if, for example, you needed to escape urgently. Contrary to popular belief, not all palaces and castles had their own dungeons — this was an exception to the rule. And the dungeons were located in the towers, not underground. The beds in the rooms at the Palace of Versailles were very short, as if they were for children. In fact, there was no short person living in the castle. It’s just that back then, most people slept half sitting up. Generally, the head rested on the headboard or pillows. This position is believed to facilitate breathing and digestion.

In the Middle Ages, cats were treated with great prejudice: people associated them with witches and heretics. Scientists came to the conclusion that the reason for this hostility was the independent nature of cats. Medieval peoples believed that animals were created to serve man. And a cat, even a domesticated one, cannot be trained like a dog. But not everything is so sad: some were not afraid of cats at all. Nuns, for example, used to keep them as pets.

Which habit of people who lived in palaces and castles did you find most strange? Could he live normally in such a place? Tell us in the comments section.