Hum1020 1330 louis xiv and versailles

LOUIS
XIV
An Absolute
Monarch & His
Court

The Home of the Royal Court:
The Palace of Versailles

The Home of the Royal Court
 On May 6, 1682 Louis XIV
proclaimed the Palace of
Versailles to be the seat of the
French government.
 In effect, the entire bureaucracy
moved from Paris to the suburban
villa of the king.
 The court consisted of 20,000
persons that included 9,000 soldiers,
5,000 servants, 1,000 great lords and
members of the nobility, 1,000
lesser aristocrats (who visited the
court on a daily basis) and 4-5,000
bureaucrats to manage the official
business.

The Home of the Royal Court
 The court was further supported
by 2,500 horses, 200 coaches, and
5,000 hunting dogs.
 The great lords and members of
the nobility were required to live at
Versailles--in the palace--so that
the king could keep track of them.
 They were required to wear entirely
new clothing (down to their linens)
for the king’s parties (fêtes) and
other important social occasions.
 They could beg permission to
return to their lands periodically in
order to regroup financially!

A Court Regulated Like Clockwork
 The King's day had to be perfectly timed so that
the officers serving the monarch knew exactly
what they should do & when.
 As a result, he court’s schedule was regulated
like clockwork.
 Referring to Louis XIV, the Duc de Saint-
Simon wrote, “with an almanac and a watch,
even at a distance of three hundred leagues, you
could say precisely what he was doing”.

Levée: The Ceremonial Rising
 8:00 AM: 'It is
time, Sire', declares the First
Valet de Chambre, waking the
King.
 The levée, or ceremonial
rising, thus begins.
 When Louis XIV awoke, he was
examined by his doctor and
surgeon.
 Then, his Valet washed his face
and hands with cold water.
 The King then relieved himself in
front of all the courtiers
(noblemen of court).

 As monarch, Louis XIV never
had any privacy, and was always
on ceremonial display.
 His aides would even converse
with him about state matters as
he sat on the toilet!
 The most important officials of
the kingdom were admitted
during the levée; and it is
estimated that the usual number
of people attending numbered
one hundred, all male.

 Within fifteen minutes, a crowd was crammed
into the Royal Chambers.
 This group of nobles was made up of
courtiers favored by the King.
 Louis then chose his wig and his clothes for
the day, while he drank two cups of chicken
stock soup or bread dipped in wine.
 Then the courtiers dressed him.
 It was a great honor to be permitted to watch
him don his undergarments, breeches,
stockings, etc.
 It was an even greater honor to be the noble
selected to hand the King his shirt – only
after he was presented to the King by the
Valet de Chambre.
 This could happen five times to
accommodate all the courtiers who wanted
the honor.

 Rumor: Louis XIV took only 3 baths
in his life. NOT TRUE!
 In Louis’s day, people thought a good,
thick, grimy layer of filth would keep you
healthy and strong! They believed water
spread diseases by penetrating the pores
of the skin and then infecting the
bloodstream. Most people didn’t bathe
more than once a year.
 The wealthy did change their linen
throughout the day because they believed
that the linen wicked away sweat and dirt,
but they still stunk. To combat the smells,
the men and ladies in Louis's court would
douse themselves with perfumes and
powders.

 Ironically, Louis was so clean that he
was almost fussy about it. He often
bathed in a big Turkish bath in his
palace at Versailles.
 When not in his bath, he rubbed spirits
or alcohol on his skin (perfume gave
him headaches), which acted as a
disinfectant.
 And, as if that were not enough, he
changed his underwear three times per
day!
 All of this cleanliness must have paid
off, because Louis lived to the ripe old
age of seventy-seven and was King
for seventy-two years, longer than any
other French monarch in history.

 There were so many crazy rules of etiquette
during the morning ceremony, I don't know
how they kept it straight.
 For example, when it came to helping the
King with his coat (justacorps), the Valet
de Chambre could help only with the right
sleeve.
 Whereas the Master of the Wardrobe
could only assist with the left.
 Oh, it gets better! Only the Master of the
Wardrobe was permitted to place the
King's cravat on him, but he wasn't allowed
to tie it.
 That was the job of the Royal Cravatier.
 The King's hat, gloves, and cane had to be
handed to him in a certain order and by
certain people.

 Thefts were frequent at
Versailles, despite the
guards and staff.
 Once, during the King's
levée, the royal doctor
had his watch stolen!

 Louis was completely bald
by age 35, so he made wigs
mandatory for all members
of his court – both male &
female.
 Louis XIV had fourteen
personal wigmakers on
staff and a repertoire of
1,000 wigs.

The King Processes to Mass
 10:00 AM: Upon leaving the
King's apartments, a procession
would form in the Hall of
Mirrors.
 The King would lead the
procession of courtiers through
the Hall toward the Royal
Chapel for his morning prayers.
 During this procession, the
public could now see the King
and even petition him with a
written request for favors.

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

 The space measures 73 meters long -
more than half a soccer field!
 The space measures 12 ½ meters in
height – about the same as a three-story
building!
 This is where the King received all
important foreign visitors, like
ambassadors.
 Each week there are were parties, masked
balls, and concerts held here.
 There was a limit on the number of
courtiers who could attend – only those
of high status!
 Each of the 17 windows is directly across
from 17 huge mirrors that reflect the light
and cast a divine glow.

 The world-famous Hall of Mirrors at
Versailles was designed by Jules
Hardouin-Mansart, and the interior
decoration was by Charles Le Brun in
1678.
 The Hall of Mirrors served as a passage
between the King's and the Queen's
apartments.
 In this historic room the German
Empire was proclaimed in 1871 and
the Treaty of Versailles, which ended
World War I, was signed here in 1919.
 The ceiling’s painted heavens were
meant to remind the viewers of the
King’s divine right and the glorious
moments of the King’s life.

 The Hall of Mirrors remains,
as was the Sun King’s intent,
a sight breathtaking in its
majesty.
 The Hall of Mirrors contains:
– 357 mirrors,
– 17 glass doors
– 17 large chandeliers
– 26 small chandeliers
– Marble walls
– Painted plaster ceilings

The King Attends Mass
• 10:30 AM: The King enters
the Royal Chapel, which has
two stories.
• The galleries (the upper
stories) were reserved for the
King, the royal family, and
important members of the
Court, while the rest of the
congregation occupied the
ground floor.
• Mass would last roughly
thirty minutes.

The King Attends Mass
• The choir, known as the Chapel
Music, famous throughout
Europe, always sang new music
composed by French composers
such as Lully & Lalande.
• Consecrated in 1710, the Chapel
is dedicated to St. Louis,
ancestor and patron saint of the
royal family.
• The Chapel was the last building
to be constructed at Versailles
under the reign of Louis XIV.

The King Holds Council
 11:00 AM: Upon returning to
his apartments, the King holds
council in his cabinet.
– Sundays & Wednesdays:
Councils of State
– Tuesdays & Saturdays:
Finances
– Mondays, Thursdays &
Fridays: Another Council
of State, the Dispatch
Council on Domestic
Affairs, a Religious Council,
or discussion the King’s
building programs.

The King Holds Council
 Five or six ministers
usually advised the King
on any issue.
 When being advised, Louis
famously spoke little and
listened a great deal before
coming to a decision on
any issue.
Minister of Finance:  Once his decision was
Jean-Baptiste Colbert issued, it was non-
negotiable and final.

The King Attends His Midday Meal
 1:00 PM: The King dined
in his bedchamber, at a
table facing the windows,
looking out onto the
palace grounds.
 This meal was theoretically
private, but Louis XIV
routinely admitted the men
at court, making
attendance similar to that
of the levée.

The King Attends His Midday Meal
 It was a huge ceremony, with a
large number of different
characters in attendance.
 The most noble person had the
right to give the King his towel
in order for the King to clean
his hands before eating.
 Six gentlemen served the King
and some of them had useless
duties.
 Because of the length of the
ceremony, the King always ate
cold food.

The Afternoon Program Begins
 2:00 PM: The King would announce
the program for the afternoon that he
had decided upon earlier that morning.
 In every season, Louis XIV loved to be
outside in the open air.
 Every afternoon he went hunting, or
for a long walk or carriage ride through
the gardens (promenade).
 During those occasions, the King was
relaxed and in a good mood, so the
courtiers liked to accompany him to get
his attention and ask for favors.
 His gardens even had a zoo
(ménagerie) filled with animals like
zebras & giraffes given to him from
countries in Africa and Asia.

The Afternoon Program Begins
 If he had decided on a
promenade, it might be
taken on foot in the gardens,
or in a carriage with ladies of
court.

The Gardens of Versailles
 Versailles’ grounds are landscaped in
the style of French formal garden
design.
 The garden’s strict formality and
precision were meant to reflect the
King’s power and control over the
environment, his court & his country.
 The first plans for the garden were
made in 1630, when Louis XIV hired
the preeminent landscape architect of
the time, Andre Le Nôtre, to design
the palace grounds.
 There were ultimately four phases of
garden construction, eventually ending
under the reign of Louis XVI.

PHASE I
 When the first phase of the gardens’
construction began in 1662, the first
order of business was modifying
and rearranging all the existing
bosquets (groups of trees of the
same species) on the grounds.
 When the first phase was completed
in 1664, one of the most impressive
parterres (garden divisions), the
Orangerie was completed.
 The Orangerie contains over 1,000
exotic, non-native trees, with the
majority being varieties of citrus.

PHASE II
 From 1664 – 1668, new fountains were
constructed as well as new bosquets.
 With this phase, the gardens assumed their
iconic, topographical, symmetrical design.
 Additional features of the garden were
completed at this time: Grotte de Téthys
(fountain of the Greek sea nymph Thetis),
Bassin de Latone (fountain of the Greek
god Apollo’s mother), and Bassin d’
Apollon (fountain showing Apollo & his
chariot emerging from the sea).
 In the early days of Versailles, fountain
guards were ordered to whistle when
Louis XIV approached, so that the
fountains could be turned on.

PHASE III
 The period 1680 – 1685 marked a
stylistic change from Le Nôtre’s
design.
 The King recruited a new architect:
Jules Hardouin-Mansart!
 Hardouin-Mansart modified Le
Nôtre’s design by expanding the
lawns between fountains,
completing the fountains to their
present size & adding twin octagonal
basins (called the Grand Canal
[vertical] & Petite Canal
[horizontal]) to represent the two
major rivers of France.

PHASE IV
 The final phase occurred from 1704 –
1785.
 Between 1704-1709, the existing
bosquets on the grounds were
modified
 However, on September 1,1715, Louis
XIV died from gangrene at Versailles.
 His great-grandson Louis XV was to
succeed him.
 In 1722, Louis XV returned to
Versailles.
 He did not spend large amounts of
money on the palace like his great-
grandfather, instead performing minor
changes.

 All told, the construction of
Versailles’ gardens consisted of:
– At least 200,000 trees
strategically placed throughout
the property
– 81 miles of tree rows
– About 210,000 flowers
distributed throughout the
parterres, an replanted at least
twice annually!
– 50 water fountains fed by 21
miles of water piping
– 12 miles of roads
– Over 1900 acres of parks

The King on the Hunt
 Hunting activities, the Bourbon
royal family’s favorite pastime,
would take place on the grounds
or in the surrounding forests.
 The head officer organized the
royal hunts.
 During the royal hunt, only
Louis XIV was allowed to carry a
weapon and had the right to
shoot.
 This was to prevent him being
injured or killed by a hunting
accident.

 Louis was very attached to his
hunting dogs and fed them
himself.
 He had over 100 hunting dogs
and knew all of their names.
 On horseback, and with the
help of his dogs, Louis would
track a stag for hours
throughout Versailles.
 Occasionally, he hunted by
foot with only one or two
dogs.

 The female nobles would
follow the hunt in horse-
drawn carriages.
 At the end of the day’s hunt,
King Louis XIV would offer
the best prizes (stags) to his
favorite women of the court.
 Receiving the King’s daily
prize was considered a huge
honor at Versailles.

The King’s Evening
 6:00 PM: Following the
hunting party’s return to the
palace, Louis XIV often
allowed his son to preside
over the private social
gatherings in the evenings
known as soirées
d'appartement.
 During that time, The King
might sign the many letters
prepared for him by his
secretary throughout the day.

The King’s Evening
 Even though Louis XIV married
Queen Marie-Thérèse in 1660, he did
not remain faithful to her.
 As a result, following the soirées
d'appartement , the King would then
go to Madame de Maintenon's
quarters each evening.
 The Madame de Maintenon was
Louis’s mistress, and eventually became
his second wife (though the marriage
was never officially announced or
admitted). C'est un scandale!
 While there, he might study an
important file with one of his four
secretaries of state, in addition to
enjoying the Madame’s company.

A Supper Fit for a King
 10:00 PM: A crowd would fill
the antichambre of the King's
Suite to witness the King’s
public supper.
 The King would be joined at
the Royal Table at the end of
the antichambre by the princes
and princesses of the royal
family.
 The royal family ate while on
public display, all the while
having live music performed for
them.

 A typical royal supper service consisted
of 40 plates that would be reused five
times during the meal.
 The meal would consist of soups, salads,
meats, vegetables, and desserts.
 All the dishes were tasted by a servant
first to check for poisons.
 It took 1,500 food servers kept busy by
“master of the kitchen” Chef Vatel to
prepare and serve the courses of food.
 The servers, or “officers of the mouth”,
brought the dishes to the table.
 In addition, another force of staff,
referred to as the “officers of goblet”
poured the drinks.

 The plates, napkins, and food covers
were the colors of the Bourbon royal
family: gold, scarlet, or silver.
 The drinking glasses were made of cut
Baccarat crystal.
 The King’s personal utensils and spices
were kept in a box called the “the
padlock”
 Ironically, Louis XIV preferred to eat
with his fingers.
 Since the kitchens were so far from the
dining room, the food got cold before
being served.
 It is because of this distance that they
invented the silver bell food covers to
place over plates to keep the food
warm. These are still used today in
restaurants.

Special Occasions at the Palace
 Throughout the year, Louis
XIV organized big parties
(fêtes), which typically lasted
for several days and nights.
 There were hundreds of guests
invited, and while at Versailles,
they would admire the gardens,
go to the theatre, and dance at
costume balls.
 In the evenings, to end the
parties, there would be a
fireworks show.

 When the King decided to throw a
party, he entrusted the preparations to
the service of the Menus-Plaisirs du
Roi, or royal party planners.
 They were responsible for making
costumes, fabricating the decorations,
and preparing the food.
 Louis XIV’s parties usually had a
theme that was based upon Greek
mythology, stories of knights from the
Middle Ages, or upon contemporary
poetry.

 The Grand Canal was the largest water feature on the palace
grounds, and was modeled after the canals of Venice.
 The Grand & Petite Canal formed the major axes of the
gardens, around which the pomp & frivolity of the fêtes
centered.
 All of the actual ships in the French navy were duplicated in
miniature for entertainment uses in the canal.
 There were even gondolas in the canal given to Louis by the
city of Venice.
 Sometimes, as part of the entertainment, Louis XIV had the
miniature ships act out battles.


An artist’s rendering of the Versailles’ Grand Canal stocked with miniaturized French
naval ships and gondolas during one of Louis XIV’s fêtes du nuit.

The Sun King Finally Sets
 Once the meal or fête
was over for the
evening, the King would
retire to his cabinet
(private sitting room)
where he could indulge
in conversation with his
close
acquaintances, members
of the royal family, or
mistress.

The Sun King Finally Sets
 11:30 PM: The ceremonial
day of the court at Versailles
ends with the couchee, or
public ritual of retiring, is a
reverse, shortened version of
the levée.
 It was considered a great
honor to hold the candle by
which the King was
undressed during this final
ceremony.

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