Françoise Marie de Bourbon

What people wore

Extremely wide rhingrave breeches

During this period, the rhingrave was a popular, extremely wide men's garment resembling a skirt or split-culottes, which could require up to 1.77 meters of fabric per leg.

Daily life

Children were sent to school

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

Work

A Typical Working Day

The workday was long and dictated by daylight, often lasting 11 to 15 hours and starting as early as 5 a.m. Workers in cities relied on church bells for time, as watches were expensive, while night travel and work were limited by darkness and the high cost of candles.

Music

Dancing and Music in Court Apartments

At the royal apartments in Versailles, ordinary court life included regular music and dancing in the Grand Apartment, where attendees could freely enjoy playing games, eating snacks, and dancing to violins and oboes.

At the table

Daily Bread Consumption Requirements

To meet daily calorie needs, men typically consumed three pounds of bread per day, while women consumed two pounds and children one pound.

Getting around

Barque de poste canal travel

In 1674, the barque de poste service was introduced, allowing passengers to travel from Toulouse to Castelnaudary in one day. The journey included scheduled stops for meals and overnight rests.

What it cost

Cost of shoes and bread

A servant paid 10 livres and 5 sous for a new pair of shoes in May 1703, while bread prices fluctuated significantly, such as when he paid 7 livres 9 sous 9 deniers for bread in May 1705.