How often did people bathe in Versailles?

Disease Riddled the Court Louis XIV (1638–1715) was known to have only bathed three times in his entire life. 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.



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It's difficult to believe today when gazing at the gleaming golden palace, but life at Versailles was actually quite dirty. There were no bathrooms as we would know them. Courtiers and royalty used decorative commodes in each room, while commoners simply relieved themselves in the hallways or stairwells.

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The children of the King could only claim a stool in their father's presence. Princesses of the blood were generally entitled to a chair with a back but not to one with arms. Cardinals could sit on a sofa when a prince of the blood was in the room but if the Queen entered he had to move to a stool.

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Regular bathing was still uncommon; many people would go without washing their bodies for extended periods. Clean water was often scarce and expensive, making regular bathing a luxury that only the affluent could afford. This resulted in body odor and skin conditions being prevalent among the general population.

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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.

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