Why Is Louis Xiv Important

When Louis XIV began his reign in 1643, France's capital was on the move, undergoing one of the greatest periods of expansion in its history. Louis was a young king with a great sense of style and history, and decided to make both himself and his country legendary. In the sixteenth century, the French were not thought of as the most elegant or sophisticated European nation, but by the end of the early eighteenth century France had a firm hold on culture, style, and luxury living. Before the mid-seventeenth century, and Louis XIV's influence, fashion was exclusive to only the wealthiest nobles. Only a small portion of the elite had stylist garments and outfits, which they replaced very rarely. Outfits were more a display of wealth and social status than of fashion personality; the vast majority of the population had only simple clothing made from coarse homespun fabrics. As soon as Paris became the
Until soup bowls were introduced in the second half of the century, soup was drunk from rimless bowls. Soup bowls led to the use of individual spoons, which then created a distinction between them and serving spoons. The fork was introduced in the seventeenth century, but it was not widely adopted until the eighteenth. Standard place settings included only knives and spoons; it is reported that Louis never used a fork in his life, rather he only used a knife and his fingers. With these inventions came new ideas on table manners. It became thought of as horribly rude to take a utensil out of your own mouth and use it to serve someone. It was also imperative that diners not use their fingers to get food from a serving dish to their plates; they must use serving spoons instead. Before haute cuisine, homes did not include a dining room. It was only during the eighteenth century that dining rooms became common; Louis didn't build his first dining room until