What the Palace of Versailles looked like and smelled like in the time of Louis XIV

The construction of the Palace of Versailles went down in history as one of the most expensive, with expenses that reached around 300 billion dollars in current values. However, the builders had to economise, so the building came to be remembered by its inhabitants not only for its exquisite decoration, but also for the air currents that were so strong that they forced them to sleep well protected. However, Versailles gained popularity for being “a place full of stench” from which there was no escape. But was it really like that? Or was it just speculation?

O awesome.club decided to find out how true our knowledge of Versailles and its inhabitants from the time of Louis XIV is.

It is often said that since the time of Louis XIV, Versailles was, to say the least, a very fetid place. But how much is this true? To begin with, at that time the attitude towards hygiene was a little different than it is today, and hot water was considered a “substance” that caused the spread of diseases. It was believed (rightly) to open the pores through which (and this was, of course, an assumption) any disease, even the plague, could penetrate.

It is said that Louis XIV bathed only three times in his life. But despite the fact that at that time hygiene procedures were performed less frequently than now, this statement is nothing more than a myth.🇧🇷 Louis had toilets, mostly portable ones, though he used them as a rule for lovemaking with his favorite ladies. For example, in the annex to the palace built for Madame de Montespan, there was an octagonal swimming pool. As for the monarch’s general hygiene, every morning he was cleaned with a cloth soaked in alcohol and he changed his underwear several times a day.

But Louis XIV’s vassals who lived in Versailles didn’t have their own toilets, so their cleaning procedure was mostly reduced to what’s called “dry cleaning”: they cleaned themselves with a cloth that was occasionally soaked in something. sour.

By the way, underwear and shirts (which were worn by both men and women) were changed very often: white cuffs symbolized purity and were displayed for all to see. These garments were very expensive, so much so that, after a person’s death, they became part of his inventory. The clothes of the king and courtiers were not washed, but cleaned thoroughly, as the silk and velvet used to sew them could be damaged by washing. But shirts, sheets and tablecloths were delivered to the washerwomen.

Men’s fashion of the time of Louis XIV.

In general, the inhabitants of Versailles believed that everything that was visible should be clean: for example, in the pharmaceutical books of that time there were recipes for balms, mouthwashes and foot baths. By the way, they took care of their teeth in the best possible way: there were special powders for their cleaning, but they weren’t effective enough. In addition, sugar, which was very expensive at the time, was only available to the very wealthy who abused its consumption, which often caused cavities.

For example, Louis XIV’s wife Maria Theresa at the time of their marriage (age 22) had very bad teeth. And the king himself was famous for his bad breath, the main cause of which was the bad condition of his jaw. Interestingly, he was born with two teeth, which very rarely happens.

However, it was impossible to eliminate all the odors. Therefore, courtiers wore a lot of perfume. At that time, very strong animal scents such as amber or musk were used. Court pharmacists created sachets that were placed not only in chests with bedding and clothing, but also attached to dresses in the armpit or thigh area.

As far as Louis XIV was concerned, in his youth he was also fond of perfumes, but with age he could no longer tolerate strong smells. So, before entering a room, servants would open all the windows to remove possible aromas present. On one occasion, the monarch did not let his mistress, Madame de Montespan, into his carriage because she smelled too strongly of perfumes and body creams.

The king’s favorite fragrances were the scent of orange blossom, which was pervaded in his room, and the scent of orange blossom, which was added even to the fountains in the streets.

Perfume was also used to solve another problem: in addition to masking human body odors, it had to cover the stench of the “bathroom”. Despite the palace having something like public toilets, its condition was so dire that some of the inhabitants of Versailles relieved themselves in hidden corners of the palace. Also, there were a lot of dogs on site, who obviously didn’t bother looking for specific places to relieve themselves.

In the rooms were chamber pots that were emptied by servants. Most of the time, its contents were simply thrown out the window, as an analogous drain was too far away. This, of course, hardly improved the smell in the palace. The same servants, during the great meetings of the nobility at Versailles, walked the halls with the urinals so that anyone could use them. But the “hygienic bowls” were not enough for everyone, and many, without waiting for the servant, relieved themselves behind the curtains.

The king himself had special chairs with holes under which the urinal was placed. What may seem even stranger is that, during the intimate procedure, he had visitors. And this was a great honor for the guests, the equivalent of accompanying the king to the royal meal.

The life of the “Sun King” was surrounded by various rituals and ceremonies, one of which was the morning bath. Louis XIV was awakened by a footman who slept in the same room, and then a surgeon (to make sure the royal stool was in order) and the monarch’s personal physician, who took charge of checking his pulse, were called.

Afterwards, the courtiers entered the room, in a number that could reach 100 people. They were lined up in a certain order, depending on the rank, and a servant would begin to shave him, a ritual that was contemplated by those present. In addition, these people were honored to see the process of dressing the king, after which he left the room.

By the way, courtiers had to pay a large sum for the opportunity to see the monarch’s morning proceedings. Even Louis XIV’s own bedroom resembled a stage: the bed, covered in its entirety with canopies, was located on a high podium.

Interestingly, all the rituals were, down to the smallest detail, perfect. So, for example, the shoes and tunic were given to the king by different attendants. On cloudy days, when little light entered the royal chamber, a footman would ask the monarch who would have the honor of holding the candlestick, and whoever received this privilege became his “guardian” during the ceremony.

In general, the position of each of the courtiers depended entirely on the king’s opinion. The inhabitants of Versailles competed with each other in the luxury of their clothes, as they could influence Louis XIV’s opinion of everyone. The fashion rush was so intense in that period that some of the nobles literally declared bankruptcy due to the exorbitant costs associated with clothing.

But the “Sun King”, who in his childhood survived a mutiny that went down in history as “the Frond”, had his own reasons for keeping the courtiers on his side: only then could he control them and prevent the noble lords from and ladies to prepare another attack. Everyone at court was spied on, even correspondence was opened and read. The king himself did not hesitate to spy, and often went through the clothes of courtiers with his bare hands, looking for letters that could be connected with a conspiracy.

Not surprisingly, the suppers at Louis XIV’s court were also very pompous. The king used to have breakfast and lunch alone, although the same people who were present during the morning rituals could attend the monarch’s meal. But dinner (at which, in addition to the family, courtiers were present) was a magnificent ritual prepared by dozens of cooks. It is noteworthy that the king was literally insatiable.

Louis XIV loved meat dishes, and most of his meals started with a stew of veal cheeks. Their menu had pigeons, swans, hawks and turkeys, that is, almost all edible birds, as well as a wide variety of game and, of course, oysters and shellfish. The king’s favorite dessert was oranges: covered in caramel and sprinkled with edible gold.

In addition to the obvious teething problems of the king, it is believed that by the age of 40, his jawbones were completely devoid of them. However, his appetite remained unchanged throughout his life, and when he lost the ability to chew, he simply began to swallow. The king always ate with his hands, and those who shared the meal with him were forbidden to use sharp knives (which was also part of his fear of conspiracies).

Another result of the same fear was the numerous portraits of Louis. During his reign, which lasted 72 years, around 300 images of the monarch were created. Of course, they were also painted for vanity, but the main purpose was to constantly remind courtiers that he was above all, just like 20th century dictators.

When the king left the room, his portrait was displayed, which had to be treated with the same respect as the monarch himself: for example, none of the courtiers were to turn their backs on him. That is, at that time the portraits of Louis played a great role in the political life of France, a country that lived under the banner of absolutism.

Louis XIV died in 1715, at the age of 76 (shortly before his birthday), from gangrene that began with a leg injury. Perhaps he would have lived longer, but he rejected the doctors’ proposal to amputate the affected limb, deeming it unworthy. Shortly before his death, the king regained consciousness and said to the courtiers around the bed: “Why are you crying? Do you really think I would live forever?”

Since the time of King Philip the Handsome, in the autopsies of French monarchs the entrails were extracted and the heart separated from the other organs, so the “parts” were buried in different places so that people could honor the deceased ruler not…