Court Artefacts: Toilette Item

Although personal hygiene was not the same as it is today the toilette was nonetheless vital; it became a status symbol and a ceremony in itself.

Washing bowl belonging to Françoise-Marie de Blois, Duchesse d'Orléans, 1717-1722

Razor used by Louis XVI while imprisoned in the Temple

Crystal ewer and basin belonging to Marie Antoinette. The little golden dog on the lid opens the ewer - one must place a thumb in its mouth for the water to flow out!

Court Artefacts: Clothing, Shoes & Fabrics

The extravagant fashions of the ancient regime is one of the first things that comes to mind when one thinks of Versailles. Sadly, the majority of the royal family's lavish wardrobes were destroyed during the turbulent days of the revolution. Consequently, only a few articles survive but those that do still gives us an impression of the fashions and craftsmanship of the time. Since the category would otherwise be rather short I have chosen to include artefacts of courtiers as well. 

Note: this page does not concern itself with entire ensembles since these are to be found in the Fashion-section.

Bodice said to have belonged to Marie Antoinette. Note that this is not a whalebone corset which means that it would have been used for less official ceremonies.

Ribbon owned by Madame Adélaide who used it as a belt 

Silk waistcoat with floral embroideries which belonged to the Marquis de Beauharnais 

Chemise worn by the young Louis Charles - son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. For those wondering why it looks so similar to a woman's chemise there is an explanation for that. Until the age of seven boys and girls wore the same chemise-style.

Fragment of the coat worn by Louis XVI on the day of his execution, 1793 (sold at auction by auction.fr) 

The shirt (lot number 186) was the one which Louis XVI slept in on the night before his execution. He changed into another one and left this one behind at the Temple where it was passed on to his valet, Cléry.

Fragment of a dress worn by Marie Antoinette while she was imprisoned at the Temple. It was sold at auction by Sothesby.

Lace worn by Madame Élisabeth during the last years of her life. It was later given to Marie-Thérèse, Duchesse d'Angoulême (Madame Royale) by Bishop Dupanloue

Silk shoes belonging to Marie Antoinette which sold for 65.600 USD

Another pair of shoes belonging to the doomed Marie Antoinette. It was labelled as having belonged to the queen at the time when she was taken to Paris in 1789

Handkerchief with Marie Antoinette's coat-of-arms embroidered on it.

Court Artefacts: Gambling Items

Gambling remained one of the foremost pleasures of court life throughout the reigns of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Everyone participated - even the religious Marie-Thérèse and the pious Marie Leszczynska found the pastime a great amusement. With gambling parties being a regular fixture of court life it is hardly surprising that the royal family had their personal gambling items.

Gambling purse of Marie Leszczynska bearing her coat of arms as queen. This would have been used to carry jetons with at gambling sessions. It is of red velvet and embroidered with golden thread, 1740.

This gambling purse is quite similar to that of Marie Leszczynska. They belonged to Madame Henriette (her daughter)

Silver jetons of Marie Antoinette

Belonged to Louis-Joseph-Xavier de France, Duc de Bourgogne

Jeton belonging to Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, 1720

A neatly preserved set with a table bearing the crest of Marie Antoinette as Dauphine

From the household of the Comte de Provence

And another one, this time the household of his brother, the Comte d'Artois

As can be seen this jeton was intended for the very popular game of lansquenet at Choisy, 1745

Court Artefacts

Baroque and rococo were the dominating styles of the Versailles-era. Both are characteristic by their sheer opulence and extravagance which is clearly seen in the objects left behind.

I have been trying out a few different ways to display the court artefacts of Versailles and has decided to go with this one. Rather than dividing the objects by owner they are now divided by category. Just click the category you would like to see and you will be taken to a page dedicated to that particular type.

Books

Boxes & Chests

Candelabras 

Clocks & Watches

Clothing, Shoes & Fabrics

Correspondence 

Gambling Items

Perfume Burners

Porcelain 

Toilette Items

Vases

Mesdames Tantes' Ladies

The daughters of Louis XV were numerous and each had their own households. As is rather obvious Madame Adélaide was the favourite daughter of Louis XV - consequently, the ladies appointed to her service were numerous.

Adélaide-Élisabeth d'Hallencourt de Dromesnil, Marquise de Belzunce
1763-70: Companion to Madame Adélaide
Married to Louis-Antonin, Marquis de Belzunce


Catherine-Madeleine Pécoil de La Villedieu, Duchesse de Brissac
1745-52: Companion to Madame Henriette and Adélaide
1752-70: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Married Charles-Timoléon-Louis de Brissac, Duc de Brissac
Her marriage caused some raised eyebrows since Catherine-Madeleine was not an aristocrat; she was a very wealthy heiress to a merchant from Rouen. The Duc de Saint-Simon was quick to remark that the Ducs of Brissac had never been too proud to marry beneath them.


Charlotte Alexandrine Sublet d'Hallencourt de Dromesnil, Comtesse de Belzunce
1746-52: Companion to the Madame Henriette and Adélaide
1752-63: Companion to Madame Adélaide
1770-1774: Same as before

Married to Antonin-Armand de Belzunce, Comte de Belzunce

Charlotte Alexandrine

Charlotte Rosalie de Romanet, Duchesse de Choiseul-Beaupré
1751-52: Companion to Madame Henriette and Adélaide
1752-53: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Married at Bellevue to François-Martial de Choiseul - is believed to have been a mistress to Louis XV for a short while.
She was presented at court a fortnight after her marriage but she died just two years later.

Duchesse de Choiseul-Beaupré

Élisabeth-Louise de Boullongne, Marquise d'Hôpital
1739-55: Companion to the eldest Mesdames
1752-67: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Married to Paul-François de Galluccio de l'Hôpital, who served as ambassador to Naples. Her daughter, the Marquise de Lostanges, also served Madame Adélaide.


Louise-Diane-Françoise de Clermont-Gallerande, Duchesse de Brancas
1746-50: Companion to Madame Henriette and Madame Adélaide

Married to (I) Georges-Jacques de Clermont, Marquis de Clermont-Saint-Aignan, (II) Louis de Brancas, Duc de Brancas (his title was Duc de Villars at the time of their marriage). She was later transferred to the household of Dauphine Marie-Josèphe

Duchesse de Brancas

Louise-Marie-Emmanuelle de Tourzel d'Alègre, Marquise de Maillebois
1751-52: Companion to Mesdames
1752-56: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Married to Jean-Baptiste-François Desmarets, Marquis de Maillebois.
She became a Grandee of Spain through her husband in 1745


Marie-Françoise de Pardaillain de Gondrin, Marquise de Civrac
1747-52: Companion to the eldest Mesdames
1752-55: Companion to Madame Adélaide
1755-64: Dame d'atours to Madame Adélaide

Marie-Françoise de Talleyrand, Comtesse de Périgord
Companion to the younger Mesdames

Marie-Francoise-Catherine de Beauvau-Craon, Marquise de Boufflers
1750-60: Companion to the younger Mesdames

Marie-Henriette de Polastron, Comtesse d'Andlau
1739-46: Companion to the Mesdames Henriette and Adelaide

In 1746 she was exiled to Auxerre which would end her court career

Comtesse d'Andlau

Marie-Louise-Angelique de Talaru de Chalmazel, Marquise de Castries
1746-52: Companion to the eldest Mesdames
1752-83: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Wife of Armand François de La Croix de Castries

Marie-Magdeleine-Charlotte de Béon de Massés de Cazaux, Comtesse de Béon
1782-89: Companion to Madame Adélaide

Married to François-Fréderic de Béon. She was formally presented to the king in 1780.

Comtesse de Béon

Marie-Suzanne-Françoise de Creil, Duchesse de Beauvilliers
1744-50: Companion to the eldest Mesdames
1750-52: Dame d'honneur to the eldest Mesdames
1752-80: Dame d'honneur to Madame Adélaide

Married to Paul-François de Beauvilliers


Marie-Thérèse-Josèphe-Corinthe de Névet, Comtesse de Coigny
1750-55: Companion to the younger Mesdames
1775-76: Companion to Madame Victoire

Robe à la Française

This absolutely gorgeous gown was sewn in 1765 of blue silk with gold trimmings. Flowers have been hand-embroidered with golden thread - notice that both skirt and petticoat are of the same fabric. This alone attests to the luxuriousness of the fabric used - it is simply not necessary to add more to it.

GemGem

Louis Ferdinand de Bourbon

Louis Ferdinand was born on 4 September 1729 to the extreme joy of both his parents and his country. As the longed-for son and heir he was destined to a life in the centre of court life. For fear of him dying before being introduced into the church he was immediately baptized in private - but without being given an official name. It would not be until his seventh birthday that his name of Louis would be confirmed.

As all young boys of the French royal family he spent the first seven years of his life completely surrounded by women. They took care of his every need ranging from a wet-nurse to the servants who changed his linen. Once he reached that golden age of seven he was officially transferred to the care of men.

Like his father he quickly showed an interest in the military. However, being the only surviving son he was far too precious to risk him on the battlefield. Consequently, his father denied him a leading role in the campaign of 1744. Roughly a year later Louis XV came very close to dying himself at the front (from illness, not battle wounds). For fear of contagion Louis Ferdinand was ordered to stay away but he disobeyed his father and rushed to his bedside. 

Louis XV recovered but began regarding his son with a more distant attitude. Some might attribute this to the same suspicion that Louis XIV had had for the Grand Dauphin but the exact reasons are not quite clear. What is clear is that Louis Ferdinand's relationship with his father became cooler while those with his mother and three elder sisters became very close.

1744 would turn out to be quite a remarkable year for Louis Ferdinand. While he was still sulking over being kept from the battlefield he was soon to turn his attention elsewhere: to marriage. By December of that year he was married by proxy to Maria Teresa Raphaëlla of Spain. The couple met in February the following year - it was a massive success. Immediately, the two young people took a liking to each other. However, their bliss was to be short. The Dauphine became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Marie Thérèse. Sadly, both the infant girl and the young mother died shortly afterwards.

Louis Ferdinand was devastated. Although he was just sixteen years old he had loved his first wife but was soon obliged to contract another marriage - after all, an heir had not been born.  In February 1747 he was married again to Marie Josèphe of Saxony. On their wedding night he infamously broke down sobbing. Luckily for him, Marie Josèphe took pity on him and showed him great patience. This marriage was expected to produce children - and so it did. Thirteen children were born to the couple including three kings: Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X.

State portrait

Louis Ferdinand's personality was remarkably different to that of his father. He was moved by strong moral motives and never had any affairs outside his marriage. If Louis XV had died sooner he would have been more likely to divide government into ministries rather than absolutism.

Perhaps this radical - or so it seemed to the absolutists at court - political idea he was kept away from political power.

By the age of 36 he became seriously ill. Louis Ferdinand died at Fontainebleau - the son of a king, the father of a king but never himself a king.

Gardens of Versailles

Louis XIV employed André le Nôtre as his royal gardener in 1661 and the work began immediately - it would be 40 years before they were complete. Le Nôtre was assisted by the men who created the palace: Charles le Brun designed most of the fountains and statues, Jean-Baptiste Colbert directed the project from 1664-83 and Jules Hardouin-Mansart designed the Orangery.

The work was not easy. To accommodate the plans insisted on by the King tons of earth had to be moved and the ground levelled out. What was formerly mushy marshland was transformed into flowerbeds, fountains, canals etc. It took thousands of men to complete the project and remember that all that dirt had to be moved by wheelbarrows! For the King's dream to come true trees of all sorts were imported from all over France and planted in a carefully designed pattern. Since it would be too long a post if I were to list all of the features of each park - anyone who has been there knows how enormous it is - I have chosen the same pattern as used for the château.

Today the garden covers 800 ha. and boasts 200.000 trees as well as 210.000 flowers. Sadly, there are only 620 water jets (and 50 fountains) left of the c. 1500 that were around from the beginning - the water jets are fed by 35 km piping.

To make it easier to navigate I have divided the garden into two sections: that of Versailles and those of the Trianons.

Gardens of Versailles

Each link takes you to a portion of the garden and describes its history and current state.

Apollo's Grove

The Apollo Fountain

The Colonnade Grove

The Dauphin's Grove

The Domes' Grove

The Enceladus Grove

The Girandole Grove

The Grand Canal

The Latona Fountain & Parterre

The Neptune Fountain

The Northern Parterre

The Obelisk Grove

The Orangery Parterre

The Rocaille Grove

The Royal Star

The Southern Parterre

The Star Grove

The Tapis Verte

The Three Fountain's Grove

The Triumphal Arch Grove

The Water Theatre Grove

The Queen's Grove

Gardens of the Trianons

The gardens of the two private retreats are generally divided between two styles: the English garden and the French garden.

The English Garden:

      The Belvedere 

      The Grotto

      The Love Monument

The French Garden:

      The Bird House

      The Cool Pavilion 

      The French Pavilion

The Grand Trianon's Garden:

      The Buffet d'Eau

      The Ice Houses

The Shirt

The white shirt was a necessary part of every man's wardrobe. This was one particular piece of clothing that did not discriminate according to rank. All shirts were cut in the exact same manner. Unlike what is usually seen in movies on the 18th century the shirt was not buttoned down the front. Instead, it was pulled up over the head and had three buttons to close it at the neck. 

Also, the choice of fabric was never silk. Even the aristocrats who otherwise understood better than anyone else that beauty means suffering saw the sense in keeping the finer fabrics for another purpose. First of all, silk could be rather expensive and it was therefore more sensible to save the silk for the clothing that could be seen and admired. Secondly, imagine the condition of a silk shirt after a day - or several - without washing under the arms...

Late 18th century shirt

Since silk was out of the question the preferred fabric was linen. The sleeves were full and quite wide; usually they were tighter at the wrist. What could be different from a nobleman's shirt was the ruffles of the wrists. While labourers contented themselves with plain sleeves the noblemen might array themselves with ruffles and even a bit embroidery.

Every morning, Louis XIV would have his night-shirt changed. This was necessary for most people but the Sun King was particularly known to sweat heavily during the night The fashions of the 1670-80's in France offered a surprisingly clear view of the shirt. The boxy waistcoat would often be several centimeters shorter than the shirt which meant that it could be seen peeking out. Also, once the coat was removed the extravagant sleeves was the only thing covering the skin on the arms.  

Worn by Louis XVI during his
first days as a prisoner

The state of the linen shirt could say a great deal of the wearer's status. For the gentlemen at Versailles their linen shirts were cleaned regularly by their servants - having a clean shirt was a symbol of wealth.

Not even the revolutionaries would deny Louis XVI a proper amount of shirts during his imprisonment. A laundry list reveals that he went through seventeen linen shirts in two weeks. Considering that he was accustomed to having his shirt changed daily this was still a change.

The Domino

The domino - not the effect, mind you - was connected to the mysterious masquerades of the 18th century. Incidentally, it refers to both a mask and a cloak. 

The mask covers half the face and has rounded edges. The cloak originated in Venice; the early masquerades became fashionable all over Europe which further spread the use of the domino cloak. Both pieces were usually black but could be seen in white or blue - silk was the preferred fabric. The domino cloak was voluminous - this added both a touch of the dramatic as well as being practically large enough to accommodate the lavish costumes.

Both men and women wore dominos. The sleeves were wide and usually the cloak was outfitted with a removable hood (this hood was referred to as a bahoo). Actually, the word "domino" was derived from the hoods worn by French priests in the Middle Ages. 

Example of a domino cloak

Masked balls at Versailles were numerous and the domino was the go-to costume. These pieces of clothing had another function. By concealing the identity of the wearer it allowed people to move far more freely and converse with whoever they pleased. For the sake of diversity the upper part of the bourgeoisie were often invited; these would otherwise never have been permitted to mingle with princes and ducs but everything was possible in disguise.

Edmond-Jean-Francois Barbier gives us a description of a domino worn by Louis XV in 1737. On 4th March the king had dined at Versailles where one of his gentlemen had brought nine domino masks. Louis XV's blue cloak was then accented by a pink domino mask.

A lady with both a domino cloak and
mask in hand

Marie Antoinette also used a feminine version of the domino cloak to attend masquerades without being immediately recognized. However, she was not always so lucky. One woman managed to recognize her and began chastising Marie Antoinette for not acting like a "proper wife" who ought to stay at home with her husband - Louis XVI did not attend that ball.

This particular queen is also said to have donned the cloak on the evenings of some court balls. The public was permitted to invade the garden during these festivities which only added to the number of people gawking at her.

The Sneaking Death: Gangrene

Gangrene causes tissue to decay most commonly due to issues with the blood supply or diabetes. Usually, when a limb is gangrened it becomes blue, purple or black. The most famous sufferer of gangrene at Versailles was Louis XIV - it would kill him in 1715.  Another prominent member of the royal family who suffered from it was the Grande Dauphine; when she died in 1690 her autopsy revealed that her stomach was severely gangrened. 

When Louis XIV contracted gangrene the doctors would also refer to it as "mortification". It shows just how feared the disease was that no one was willing to inform the king of his actual state; it was not until they had no other choice that the message was finally delivered. 

A gangrenous foot

The doctors facing gangrene had few options. The one most agreed upon was amputation of the infected limb if possible. Obviously, in the case of the Grande Dauphine it would not have been an option. Considering not only the excruciating pain of having an amputation performed without anesthetics but also the high risk of infections it is little wonder that some people refused to undergo the procedure. One such was Lully. He actually gave himself gangrene during one of his performances in January 1687; the composer accidentally pierced his toe with his baton. The toe became infected but he refused to have it removed - it would be his death.

Amputation is still considered to be the most effective way of stopping gangrene. The scary part about this disease is that it will continue to spread if not checked beforehand. Suffering from the affliction is agonizing but also a rather smelly affair. When Louis XIV was on his deathbed the courtiers were unwilling to stay anywhere near his bedchamber due to the stench.

Amputation of a gangrenous leg. No wonder the patient is praying ...

The example of Cardinal Dubois makes it more understandable why some might be hesitant to be operated on. The original cause for the surgery was an abscess on the bladder; consequently, the surgeons cut into his body to remove it. In the process they discovered that the organs in his lower body was terribly afflicted with gangrene. Whether due to the gangrene or the operation, the cardinal died shortly afterwards.

The Comte de Provence would be terribly plagued by gangrene after the French Revolution when he was king himself. It would eventually lead to his death, too. 

House of Coligny

The Coligny-family could trace its roots back to 863 and had their origins in Bresse. Since their nobility stretched quite a way back it is no wonder that they should already be established nobility when Louis XIV was born.

When the future Sun King was born the primary member of the Coligny-family in France was Gaspard III de Coligny. Gaspard was known at court as the Comte de Coligny but later advanced (considerably) to the rank of Duc de Coligny. Since he served Louis XIII in the Thirty Years' War it is quite likely that his service here helped his promotion. For those interested in Marie Antoinette, he was married to Anne de Polignac.

Coat-of-arms

The family had been in significant trouble during the French Wars of Religion. Unlike most of their aristocratic equals the Colignys were Protestant. This would prove to be fatal for a number of the family's members. They appeared, nevertheless, to have had a rather open attitude to the individual's choice of religion. For example, several converted to Catholicism but were not cast off.

The house of Coligny fostered several distinguished people but the most famous was William III, King of England. Furthermore, the family held the titles of :
Duc de Coligny
Prince de Montbelliard
Comte de Savigny
Comte de Laval
Marquis de Coligny
Marquis de Saint-Bris

The founder of the House of Coligny was Guillaume de Coligny. From him two branches spread of the family were founded through his three sons: Jean, Jacques and Antoine. It is from the eldest, Jean, that the main Coligny-family heralded.


Jean III de Coligny married Éleonore de Courcelles
           Their child: Gaspard I

Gaspard I married Marie Louise de Montmorency. They had five children:
           Madeleine: married to Charles de Roye
           Pierre, Seigneur de Châtillon
           Odet: Archbishop of Toulouse, then Cardinal de Châtillon
           Gaspard II, Comte de Coligny and Admiral
           Francois, Seigneur d'Andelot

Gaspard II married Charlotte de Laval. They had three children:
          Louise: married to (I) Charles de Téligny, (II) William I of Orange-Nassau, Stadtholder of
          Holland. Her great-grandson was William III of England
          Francois, Comte de Coligny
          Charles, Marquis de Coligny

Francois married Marguerite d'Ailly. They had four children:
          Henri, Comte de Coligny - he fell at the Siege of Ostend
          Gaspard, Comte de Coligny, later Duc de Coligny
          Charles, Seigneur de Beauport
          Francoise: married to René de Talensac

Gaspard III married Anne de Polignac. They had four children:
          Maurice, Comte de Coligny
          Gaspard IV, Duc de Coligny and Duc de Châtillon
          Henriette: married (I) the Count of Haddinton, (II), Gaspard de Champagne
          Anne: married to Georges II, Duke of Wurtemberg-Montbéliard

Gaspard IV married Élisabeth-Angelique de Montmorency. Their son:
          Henri-Gaspard, Duc de Coligny

Henri-Gaspard died young without an heir

The family of Jacques (son of Guillaume) held the title of Comte de Saligny while Antoine's family held that of Marquis de Coligny.

Family members:

Gaspard IV

Élisabeth-Angelique

Louise de Coligny

Gaspard III

Anne de Polignac

Some interesting facts about the family:

• Gaspard IV's marriage to Élisabeth-Angelique was a love match 
• Gaspard II was murdered during the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew 
• Francois d'Andelot married a wealthy heiress from Brittany. Through her he became a part of the Guise-family's circle which supported Diane de Poitiers (favourite mistress of Henri II)
• Gaspard IV had the favour of Louis XIV who appreciated his military skills. Gaspard was sent to the Battle of Charendon during the Fronde where he was killed by a shot in the kidney at just 28 years old. Louis XIV gave him the honour of being buried in Saint-Denis
• Louise de Coligny's marriages had rather bloody endings. Her first husband was also murdered in the Saint Bartholomew's Massacre while her second was assassinated
• Henriette de Coligny's second marriage to Gaspard de Champagne was annulled; she herself also converted to Catholicism and was a renowned poet
• Maurice de Coligny was killed in a duel against the Duc de Guise
• Louise de Coligny died at Fontainebleau where she was the personal guest of Marie de Medici