The question is simple: why Louis XIV, the man who stated l’état c’est moi (the State is me) and worked hard to be the centre of France’s universe turning the country into an absolute monarchy, decided to move from the capital to a swampy (and stinking) game reserve? As serious employment could not be allowed, amusements were largely sought. He did this by improving the economy, reorganizing the military and just making good decision… Louis wanted to make sure he had all the most powerful people with him at all times. These declared that the French were consuming their estates in an excessive passion for luxury and dress. Often, artwork in Versailles depicted him as handsome and god-like, he was even portrayed as gods themselves, such as “Apollo or Jupiter” (Constans 109). For nearly two decades, the men carved the Palace of Versailles out of the thick wooded marshes and achieved Louis's vision of enormity and splendor. Background. To be a gallant man was the great desire of a French nobleman, and the fear of forfeiting this title led him to many absurdities. Versailles also had public toilets, but considering how many people were in need of those, it were far too few. Abstract. It was a form of punishment for the aristocrats, in part. He gave them offices and fancy titles but little power. 10 pm: the crowd would hurry into the King’s Antechamber to attend the dinner at the Royal Table. The premise is simple: Louis XI, the Universal Spider, is reborn in the body of Louis XIV. Loret tells us that the ladies wore masques when driving on the Cours la Reine, but when the king passed, five hundred beautiful faces exposed their charms. script.setAttribute("async", true); In the meantime the king would sign the numerous letters prepared by his secretary, then go to the apartments of Mme de Maintenon, where he studied important paperwork with one of his four Secretaries of State. Originally built in 1624, Versailles served as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII, but was transformed into the palace of his son, Louis XIV, over many decades. 1 pm: the king ate alone in his bedchamber, seated at a table facing the windows. Except for a few great nobles, and for those whose connection with the Court led them to an absurd extravagance, living was relatively cheaper then than now. Hunting was forbidden to the roturiers, and it was exclusively the sport of gentlemen. } But the edicts had no effect in checking such customs. The lucrative offices were largely held by those of inferior birth, and except by pensions from the crown, it was impossible to replace the fortunes spent in extravagance. document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. On these days the king could also decide to examine the progress of works projects. Politeness required that the masque should be raised in the presence of one of superior rank. This has the effect of reducing one major threat to his power - Nobility. The result of extravagant living was often an enormous indebtedness. Some, it was said, in Lorraine had incomes of less than two thousand livres, but they were usually those who had fraudulently assumed the rank of nobility. For a man to keep on his hat was still the privilege and the practice of the nobles. In Poitou alone the superintendent reported there were fifteen hundred gentlemen, and with their families there must have been several thousand of gentle blood in this small province. Many also assumed the rank without being entitled to it, in order to obtain social position and to enjoy exemption from taxation. Most of it came easily and was spent recklessly. BBC Two’s Versailles returned on 21 April for its second series, exploring the decadent and turbulent early reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV. 10 am: a procession formed in the Hall of Mirrors at the exit of the King’s Apartments, and the king crossed the State Apartments followed by his courtiers. Social French Language Under Louis XIV, French became the international language in Europe and the language that signified that one was well-educated. You have to know the original and purpose of the Versailles palace to understand the daily live in it. It is doubtful if the charm of manner and conversation which then existed in the best society of France can now be found in any class. Louis XIV, the Sun King, was particularly known for his behavior with women. But in the seventeenth century the life of the courtier had become expensive. A century later Arthur Young said that for eight thousand livres, a gentleman could live in the country and keep four servants and three horses. Besides limiting their power, it meant that they had to be away from their hotels particulier in Paris and provincial chateaus. They dined there in the open air, finding a zest in the cannon balls that flew about them. This public ritual, when the king retired to his bedchamber, was the exact reverse of the getting-up ceremony. If you were to have any hope of advancement, you … document.cookie = "__adblocker=" + (adblocker ? en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/day-life-louis-xiv The body of the nobles was a very large one, and it was estimated that it contained in all as many as four hundred thousand persons. Humiliating nobles may not be the best word to describe the relation between Louis XIV and the aristocracy. It can be used without an Internet connection. Madame de Roquilaure lost 30,000. On Mondays (every two weeks), Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, the State Council, or “High Council”, was held. 11 am: upon returning to his apartment, the king held council in his chamber. In theory the Sun King’s daily schedule continued during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, but neither of the later sovereigns could stand the oppressive ceremonial rituals. In Poitou, in 1664, many are reported with incomes of twenty or thirty thousand livres (forty or sixty thousand francs). 6 pm or 7 pm: Louis XIV often left his son in charge of indoor entertainment, such as Evening Gatherings. d.setTime(d.getTime() + 60 * 60 * 24 * 2 * 1000); How significant were the king's semi-public displays of prayer and piety? var d = new Date(); It could borrow money only at extravagant rates, twenty-five per cent or more. A cloak adorned with gold lace cost 800 francs or $160. His reign is known as sort of a Golden Age in French history, admired for the dazzling royal court culture at Versailles, and the intellectual and … The custom, however, disappeared in the latter part of the reign of Louis XIV. The same spirit made the bravery of the gentlemen in battle often become mere foolhardiness. In theory they shielded the face from the intense gaze of inferiors, and in practice they were often convenient for ladies devoted to politics and gallantry. de Chevreuse over 200,000 livres to pay her debts. King Louis and the Versailles palace has made an extremely huge impact on thw world today. Portrait of Louis XIV in armor by Claude Lefebvre — Public Domain. Last but not least, the Dispatch Council (which dealt with national affairs) met once a fortnight on Mondays when there was no State Council meeting. When Louis XIIV died, his son the later Louis XIV was only a kid. 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