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Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate

Paris, 14 Mar 1652 – Asnières-sur-Seine, 12 Aug 1730

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 14 Mar 1652

    Born in Paris

  2. 1671–1673

    2 children are born

  3. 12 Aug 1730

    Dies in Asnières-sur-Seine, aged 78

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Paris.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1650s · Benedicta is born in Paris

In the news1656

Royal Edict on Beggars (1656)

In 1656, a royal edict established the Hopital General in Paris, forcing over six thousand beggars into labor as part of a policy to clear the streets.

Getting around

Traveling on foot was common for many

Ordinary people, such as peddlers and pilgrims, typically traveled on foot, covering 20 to 30 kilometers a day and wearing out a pair of shoes every 15 days.

In the news1648–1653

The Fronde Civil Wars (1648–1653)

The Fronde, a series of civil wars between 1648 and 1653, led to food scarcity, high taxes, and fighting that caused the king to flee the capital.

Daily life

Children were sent to school

Household rules expected servants to wake and feed children and ensure they went off to school.

What people wore

Sunday best for villagers

Ordinary villagers often wore the same daily clothes, while the wealthier among them changed into better garments specifically for Sundays and feast days.

Music

Everyday musical tools and maintenance

Portable violins called pochettes were used by dance masters to teach dance lessons in homes. Harpsichords in palaces required regular maintenance, where staff spent one-third of their time just removing wax drippings from candles.

At the table

Bread as the Foundation of Daily Meals

Bread was the staple of the ordinary diet, often eaten as "soup" by soaking slices in a liquid like water, broth, or vegetable potage. These large, dense loaves were baked to last for one or two weeks at a time.