Why did Versailles smell?


Why did Versailles smell? While it smells fine now, hygiene practices (or the lack thereof) in France during Louis XIII's reign meant that the palace smelled like urine, fecal matter, and more. Some claim that a lack of toilets in the palace even led some visitors to relieve themselves behind curtains and pillars.


How much does it cost to get married at Versailles?

Palace of Versailles wedding cost will exceed 100 000 euro with optimal budgets starting at 200 000 euro. The venue rent itself varies from 18 000 euro for the Crusades Rooms to 70 000 euro for the Gallery of Battles or Orangerie.


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.


Why was Versailles abandoned?

Following the death of Louis XIV in September 1715, the court abandoned Versailles for Vincennes and transplanted itself briefly to Paris the following December. Versailles entered a long period of neglect.


Why are the beds in Versailles so small?

Beds used to be short because people didn't use to sleep lying down because old superstitions considered it to be the position of the dead. So they slept in half sitting position.


What was life really like in Versailles?

In its heyday, life at Versailles was a mix of power politics, hierarchy, etiquette and fashion. Courtiers lived in their own bubble of luxury and were focused on pleasing the king and following his rules. Louis XIV's social structure and etiquette practices were both the doing and undoing of Versailles.


How much would Versailles cost today?

How much would it cost to build Versailles in today's money? Versailles Palace could take anywhere between $2-300 billion to build in today's money.


Can you enter Versailles for free?

Admission to the Park of Versailles is free for pedestrians and bikes, there is a fee for vehicles: €3 for motorbikes, €12 for cars and €30 for buses (12 or more seats). Vehicles displaying a European disabled parking permit are granted free admission upon presentation of proof of disability.


Why were children not raised at Versailles?

Mesdames 1727-1800 The Mesdames lived at Versailles over a period of many years before fleeing during the French Revolution. 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.


Is there a toilet in Versailles?

There are several toilets and free changing tables for babies at your disposal all over the Estate. 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).


Why are there no toilets in Versailles?

Rooms with toilets, cesspools, and drainage systems only started to become common in the 19th century. At the Palace of Versailles, people would conduct their business in the corridors or in the gardens. In 1715, it was decreed that once a week the feces would be collected from the corridors.


Which is bigger Versailles or the Louvre?

The Louvre is the larger building (72 135 square meters vs. 63 154). But the grounds of Versailles are enormous, much larger than those of the Louvre, and the total park covers 1070 hectares.


Is Versailles palace Real Gold?

Gold leaf certainly features in the decoration style of the interior of Versailles. In fact, there were solid gold table services (flatware and plates) in Versailles in the eighteenth century. But the Palace of Versailles itself is not made of gold.