Built on swampland, Versailles was described by a visitor in 1764 as an odiferous cesspool of dead cats, urine, excrement, slaughtered pigs, standing water, and mosquitoes.
Did the Palace of Versailles smell?
Yet Versailles was seriously fragrant. Throughout the Palace, bowls were filled with flower petals, to sweeten the air. Furniture was sprayed with perfume. Even the fountain And visitors – probably a defensive move, when hygiene was pretty scarce – were sprayed with perfume, on entering the Palace.
What was hygiene like at Versailles?
Despite its reputation for magnificence, life at Versailles, for both royals and servants, was no cleaner than the slum-like conditions in many European cities at the time. Women pulled up their skirts up to pee where they stood, while some men urinated off the balustrade in the middle of the royal chapel.
Did people urinate in Versailles?
Conversation. No, people weren’t just defecating & urinating in the halls of Versailles. Some of the ways people at Versailles could take care of business: closestools, bourdaloues (designed for women who needed to pee!); chamber pots; and a design for an 18th century latrine. There were also a few flushing toilets.
Where did people go to the bathroom in Versailles?
In the Palace, there are toilets and changing tables before the ticket checks in the South Ministers’ Wing and after the ticket checks in the basement of the Dufour Pavilion (Entrance A). Other toilets are located in the basement of the Gabriel Pavilion (Entrance B) and at the end of the History Gallery.
Did Louis XIV not bathe?
Louis XIV was not indifferent to dirt or sweat but according to numerous authors he never had a bath during his entire life.
Why were children not raised at Versailles?
The daughters of Louis XV all bore the honorific title of ‘Madame’. There were eight princesses, not all of whom were raised at Versailles because their education was considered too expensive.
Where did Marie Antoinette go to the bathroom?
Marie Antoinette had a very early version of the flush toilet installed in her suite of rooms! You had to send someone upstairs to open a valve for the flush, though…
When did Versailles get toilets?
The legendary Palace of Versailles began as a hunting lodge in 1624. After more than a century and a half of building, which included some of the most impressive construction campaigns in the world’s history, toilets were added in the 18th Century.
What did they eat in Versailles?
The meat of choice in Versailles was poultry, consumed in large quantities and boiled in stock to preserve its tender white flesh. A new species of fowl from the West Indies took over from the much-cherished swan and heron that were fixtures at medieval banquets: turkey. For a long time, red meat was cast aside.
How did nobles go to the bathroom?
For most of the medieval age, the main method of relieving oneself in the aristocracy was via chamber pot. These vessels were transported to the individual in need by servants and then used. The convenience of having the pot come to them outweighed the desire to be alone to relieve themselves.
Did Nobles pay rent to live Versailles?
Many of the wealthiest nobles had an hotel somewhere close ( like in the city of Versailles ) where they retreated after the day at court. There the hotel was theirs (bought or rented ) and when they organized festivities or hold their ” own little court ” it was up to them to pay of course.
Where did servants sleep in Versailles?
But where did they stay? Most apartments consisted of a bedchamber, a cabinet and perhaps a wardrobe. The lucky ones could add a few antechambers or had rather large rooms. In this context, the servants’ quarters were in the wardrobe.
Did Versailles have running water?
The magic of water
The Gardens of Versailles once boasted as many as 2000 fountain heads, four times more than there are today. An underground network of pipes stretching for over 46 kilometres supplied the ponds and fountains with running water.
How did they pump water at Versailles?
Fourteen hydraulic wheels—each 33 feet in diameter—worked with 251 suction and treading pumps to push water uphill along a set of pipes and two other pumping stations to the Tour de Levant, the first of two towers anchoring the Louveciennes Aqueduct on each end.
Why did king Louis not consummate?
On the death of his grandfather Louis XV, Louis succeeded to the French throne on May 10, 1774. At that time he was still immature, lacking in self-confidence, austere in manner, and, because of a physical defect (later remedied by an operation), unable to consummate his marriage.
What did king Louis 14 eat?
Oysters, salmon, and sardines were staples, as was potage—meat boiled with vegetables. According to his sister-in-law, the Princess Palatine, the king had an insatiable appetite.
Did Louis the 16th have erectile dysfunction?
Louis XVI was reported to have suffered from a tight, painful phimosis, which may have inhibited erection and ejaculation.
Who fathered the black baby in Versailles?
Nabo (died 1667) was the African court dwarf at the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was a favorite of Queen Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis’ wife, who enjoyed his company and played peek-a-boo with him. In 1667, he had an affair with Maria Theresa, resulting in the birth of a black baby.
Why was a woman whipping herself in Versailles?
She too is one of the King’s mistresses and is pregnant with his child. We later see the King walk in on her flogging herself in Catholic penance.
How many babies did Marie Antoinette have?
Marie Antoinette has been portrayed as the spendthrift wife who meddled in the political affairs of her weak-willed husband, Louis XVI. But she was also a devoted mother to her four children, who provided emotional solace for the troubled queen.