When you think about the court of Versailles, do you immediately think of French royals and aristocrats and their opulent parties and regal lifestyles? Well, as it turns out, things weren’t nearly as elegant and fancy as you would imagine.
It was 1682 when King Louis XIV of France moved his royal court to Versailles. The palace had originally been a hunting lodge, but King Louis completely remodeled things, and it became a spacious and posh palace.
And even though things certainly looked stately and royal, the Palace of Versailles was also known to have quite the stench, mostly due to the poor hygiene of its occupants.
One thing that contributed to the extreme body odor was the lack of hot water baths. They actually weren’t seen as a “hygienic necessity,” because during that time a hot water bath was considered to be bad for one’s health.
According to historian Jules Harper, “The common belief was that warm water weakened the body and widened the pores, thus allowing diseases to enter.” Keeping that in mind, most people did a “quick wash” rather than extensive bathing that would properly clean and refresh the body.
Even King Louis XIV was known to follow this same kind of bathing routine, so when he would find himself getting sweaty, his attendants would simply change his shirt. This would happen several times per day.
There was also limited plumbing, especially during King Louis XIV’s time at the court of Versailles. Due to the sheer number of people on the estate and the lack of commodes, it was said that the toilets would often overflow and sewage would seep into the walls and other rooms.
To get the full (stinky) picture of what hygiene was like at the Palace of Versailles, watch the video.
