IIt’s the 18th century, and you’re in the grand palace of Versailles, the seat of French power and royalty. You gaze at the ornate paintings and beautiful marble structures only to be distracted by something that seems off. It’s a smell but not one that you’d expect from a majestic palace; it reeks of feces and urine.
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Everywhere you go, you’re reminded of the foul stench that emanates from the walls, from the cesspits, and even from the gardens. No place is safe.
Although today we think of Versailles as an architectural masterpiece, to the people living there, it was like being in a smelly nightmare. But how did it get so bad, and why did the French nobility tolerate such horrible conditions?