Hygiene of the court of Louis XIV: Is the Palace of Versailles really smelly, don't the French bathe?
Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, went down in history as a splendid French monarch and builder of the magnificent Palace of Versailles, which should reflect the greatness of the king. However, many modern historians believe that if we happened to be in the court of the French monarchs of that era, then luxury and brilliance could not have masked the stench that prevailed there.
Among the various sources, you can find many articles in the court of the Sun King, where nobles defecated everywhere and washed twice in their lives. But is there any basis for such an assertion? Are they fictional or real? I recommend understanding such a delicate issue and understanding the concept of hygiene in the era of Louis XIV.
Suspicious source
Many stories of the uncleanness of Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries (usually only found on the Internet) are just common myths. In addition, we are often bound by the illusion that Russians invented bathtubs and European-perfumes (so that the smell of sweat is not heard). This is partly true, as the health situation at the time was still inadequate. However, attention should be paid to the important aspects and characteristics of that era.
You should immediately pay attention to the sources that tell us that the courtiers of the time of Louis XIV were extremely unclean. Interestingly, much of the information was taken from letters from the king's daughter-in-law. Elizabeth Charlotte of Palatinate. This woman was unlucky. In an unfamiliar home, she felt like a "black sheep" and often told her family about the horrors of France. It is possible that Elizabeth Charlotte deliberately exaggerated her words. For example, it is difficult to imagine that in Versailles "people urinate as they please". Agree, letters from offended women are hardly called reliable sources.
Rescue perfume
Everyone knows that in Europe (especially France) they attach great importance to perfumes. In the 17th century, eau de toilettes and various aromatic ingredients helped neutralize or at least slightly hide the smell of sweat. The desire for this has less to do with an understanding of cleanliness than with a desire to emphasize personal status. For the nobility, the smell of sweat was considered the labor of the peasants. The nobility could not smell the peasants at all, so the courtiers were looking for ways to hide this unpleasant "smell".
At the same time, it should not be assumed that there were modern requirements for personal hygiene in the time of the Sun King. As we all know, the Russian ambassador to France declared in shock that there was a foul smell even in His Majesty's courtroom. However, the appearance of unpleasant odors is not at all due to the lack of toilets (in fact, there are none).
During the reign of the Sun King, the number of baths in Europe increased, but the number remained small. According to the document, in large cities, there are usually no more than 3-4 bathrooms. As you know, all the courtiers and citizens were not allowed to take a bath several times a day. As a matter of personal hygiene, it is recommended to wipe your face, hands, and feet with cold water in the morning and evening, and you have been taught from an early age.
In addition, to prevent dental disease, rinse the mouth with water (sometimes even with a special bristle brush). At banquets and court banquets, the nobles would offer containers of fragrant water so that they could wet their fingers.
Bathing - violation of the ban
Medicine is also interesting, and there were many relics of the Middle Ages at that time. For example, it is believed that when bathing, "poison" from the outside penetrates into the pores of the body. They try not to bathe newborn babies, but instead rub them with oil to "clog pores" and prevent diseases from entering the child's body. Doctors of King Louis equated full-body washing with a very dangerous procedure.
Despite all the prohibitions, the monarch and his subjects were purged. Many of the paintings have been preserved depicting beauties from the 16th and 17th centuries, bathing happily. Interestingly, the Sun King often bathes. It is well known that doctors prescribe him a bath to restore the balance of fluids in his body. It is true that in the process of water, the monarch did not wash, but only received a course of treatment, but this did not change things.
In the notes of the Duke of Saint-Simon, it appears that the servants of King Louis XIV rubbed his body every morning with rose lotion, wiping his hands with a mixture of water and white wine. He changed his clothes three times a day and chose different costumes for hunting, dinner or dance. Perhaps, to Russians who are accustomed to frequent cleaning and cleaning, the French monarch and his court look dirty, but in his country, the Sun King is indeed one of the neatest and cleanest people.
