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.
The apartments in the Grand Commun accommodated a wide range of servitors, from the humblest cooks to courtiers such as Le Nôtre and Colbert.
Members of the royal family and those with important roles had apartments overlooking the gardens, while courtiers of lesser importance were accommodated on the city-side or in the Palace outbuildings, such as the Grand Commun or the Stables.
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.
The King's chamber
In 1701 Louis XIV moved his bedchamber into the large room covering nearly 90m² and situated in the centre of the eastern façade of the Palace. Three tall doors at the end of the room leading to the Hall of Mirrors were sealed.
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.
Maids were traditionally housed in the attic, with the housekeeper's own quarters at the end of their passage, while male staff were lodged in the basement. The butler's quarters were close by, usually next to the strong room where the silver was kept.
Surrounded by a circle of friends whom she had chosen herself (although not always wisely), she preferred to remain in her Private Chambers, located behind her State Apartments and which she hoped to extend into the floor above, and in the Petit Trianon, built by Louis XV and given to her as a gift by Louis XVI on his ...
Most however preferred the great hall, where it was safer and warmer. If the noble family had a separate private room, they may have had their personal servant sleep in the room with them.
If the Palace of Versailles were built today, it would cost roughly two billion US dollars. The sheer scale of the grounds comes with a hefty price tag, with over 700 rooms, 60 staircases and 1200 fireplaces.
Does Versailles still smell today?
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.
Although the palace of Versailles had running water and numerous baths, there was a common belief that water spread disease, so the less you bathed, the safer you were. As a result, the king would often encourage his courtiers not to bathe at all.
Hidden doors, secret passages, private studies, libraries and apartments… the palace holds concealed quarters in which French kings and queens once sought refuge, far from court stuffiness.
Louis XIV was not indifferent to dirt or sweat but according to numerous authors he never had a bath during his entire life. Using various texts that are less well known, particularly in the medical sphere, an attempt has been made to reconstruct the Sun King's hygienic environment.
As Queen of France, Marie Antoinette lived in the elaborately adorned Palace of Versailles. She married the future Louis XVI at age 14 and claimed the first floor apartment as her own—as well as the several private rooms located behind a secret door in her bedroom.
Louis was said to have fallen in love with Marie instantly, and consummated his marriage to her seven times on their wedding night. From 1727 to 1737, Marie gave Louis XV ten children: eight girls and two boys.
The family would probably have employed between eight and twelve servants who were given their food and accommodation as part of their wages. Some would live in the attic bedrooms and some above the stables, but if these rooms were full, servants might have to sleep in the servants' hall and kitchen.
Servants' bedrooms and dormitories were pushed to the margins of the house: in garrets and occasionally basements. In newly built or extended houses, wings were created in the main house that offered separate accommodation for indoor and outdoor servants, grooms for example often sleeping above the stables.
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.
The most common type of sexual relationship between master and servant was of course that between a male employer and his female domestic. Just how common such relationships were is impossible to say, but all evidence suggests that they were widespread.
Did servants ever get a day off?
Servants could also expect some time off; they were entitled to two weeks off per year, half days on Sunday, one night out per week, and a day off each month. Servants might have the opportunity to travel with their employers. There was also always hope for advancement within the ranks.
It varies from household to household. Some servants at an estate may have their own sleeping quarters consisting of beds and a chamber pot to sleep and use the bathroom. Other households may have their servants sleep wherever they had room. Some could have a tiny bed roll to sleep on the floor in the kitchen.
THE GoLD ROOM
This room was built for Marie Leszczyńska in 1735 and was modified several times by Marie-Antoinette. Its current appearance dates from the last series of changes carried out for the queen by Richard Mique (1784).
In 1793, the Palace of Versailles was completely emptied: 17,000 lots of furniture and objects in the royal collections were dispersed at revolutionary sales.
A succession of kings continued to embellish the Palace up until the French Revolution. Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 m2. In 1789, the French Revolution forced Louis XVI to leave Versailles for Paris.