Palace of Versailles 1600

Between 1600 and 1700, visiting the Palace of Versailles in Paris, you can notice that, despite its magnificence, the palace did not have bathrooms.

In the Middle Ages, there were no toothbrushes, deodorants, perfumes, and even toilet paper. Human excrement was thrown directly from the windows of the palace.

During the festivities, the kitchens of Versailles prepared banquets for 1,500 people without the minimum standards of hygiene.

In modern representations we often see characters of the time fanning themselves with fans, but the reason was not the heat: a strong odor spread under the skirts of the ladies, since there was no real intimate hygiene. Showers were rare due to the cold and the almost total absence of running water.

Only nobles had servants who would wave them, both to disperse bad body and breath odor and to keep insects away.

Today, visitors to Versailles admire the magnificent gardens, but during the monarchy they were also used as toilets during the famous court parties, since there were no bathrooms available.

In the Middle Ages, most weddings were celebrated in June, the beginning of summer. The reason? The first bath of the year was done in May, so in June the smell was still bearable. However, to cover any bad smells, brides carried bouquets of flowers close to their bodies, hence the tradition of the bridal bouquet.

Baths were taken in a large tub filled with hot water. The head of the family had the privilege of immersing himself first, followed by the other members of the family in order of age. Newborns were the last, and the water was so dirty that it could become lethal for them.

The roofs of houses often had no ceilings inside, with wooden beams that provided shelter for animals such as dogs, cats, rats and cockroaches. When it rained and the roof leaked, these animals would jump onto the floor.

Those who could afford it used tin plates, but some foods, such as tomatoes, oxidized the material, causing fatal poisoning. For years, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

To drink beer or whiskey, tin cups were used, and the combination of alcohol and tin oxide could cause states of unconsciousness similar to narcolepsy. Passers-by might think the individual was dead, and the body was taken away and prepared for the funeral.

The deceased was placed on the kitchen table, where relatives and friends would watch, eat and drink, waiting to see if he or she would wake up. This is where the tradition of the wake was born.

In England, due to lack of space in cemeteries, graves were reused. The remains were removed and placed in ossuaries. When opening old coffins, scratches were often found on the inside of the lid, a sign that the deceased had been buried alive.

From here came the idea of ​​tying a string to the wrist of the deceased, passing it through a hole in the lid to a bell placed outside the tomb. A person would remain on guard for a few days and, if the "deceased" woke up, by moving his arm he would ring the bell.

"Saved by the bell", an expression we still use today, comes from this practice.

From the page: Happy day