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roleplaying:versailles:versaillesliving

Day to Day Life

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Balls and Dances

Dances are very frequent at Versailles and elsewhere in France (nobles would often hold them in their own mansions), usually there is an opportunity to dance every 3-5 days.

  • jours d'appartement — Approximately three evenings a week in which the King opened up his apartment at the ch+óteau to his courtiers. Guests are free to wander from room to room and partake in the entertainments which consisted of gambling, billiards, music, dance or lavish refreshments.
  • grand bals, bals par+¬s and bals r+¬gl+¬s — Major, but relatively infrequent social events. Generally held in celebration of important occasions such as weddings, births of royal infants, military victories or visits by persons of importance.
  • masked balls — The rigid rules of etiquette are more relaxed at a masked ball. They are an integral part of the Carnival season preceding Lent, but are occasionally held at other times of the year as well.

The Theatre

Money

Prices

Taxes and Gifts

Nobles were expected to pay, each, between 11 and 14 percent in tithe to the King. The clergy on the other hand paid one gift per year for the entire clergy of 5 million livres and were exempt from taxes.

Property

The holdings of the nobility vary from 11 to 35 percent. The holdings of the clergy vary from 1 to 29 percent.

Weights and Measures

All measurements tended to vary from province to province. But to simplify matters, I will just take the measurements as used in Paris at the time. 1 arpent = 100 perches = 34 ares
1 arpent = 100 square rods = 4066 sq. yards = .84 acres
1 perch = 1 rod = 1 pole = 5 1/2 yards = 16.5 feet (also the distance between fenceposts in good soil)
1 hectare = 100 meters squared = 10,000 square meters = 100 ares

Travel Times

Paris to Marseilles via diligence: 11 days
Paris to Bordeaux via diligence: 6 days
Paris to Lyons via diligence: 5 days
Paris to Lille via diligence: 3 days
Mail times were slower as they tended to travel via Paris (ie Lyons to Bordeaux would go through Paris on the way).
Post riders move at 5-6 mph - 50-60 miles per day.
Coaches generally travel 30 miles per day.

The Calendar

janvier, f+¬vrier, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, ao++t, septembre, octobre, novembre, d+¬cembre

roleplaying/versailles/versaillesliving.txt · Last modified: 2014/03/20 21:33 by 127.0.0.1