“A strange guitar-shaped object.” This is how the Savoys defined the bidet which was used by the Queen of Naples, Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine, in her private bathroom in the Royal Palace of Caserta. The specimen in question, is composed of a metal basin mounted on a wooden structure. The definition of the Piedmontese family would be contained in the inventory of goods found in the Palace. This is certainly the first bidet ever found in Italy.
The historical context in which the House of Savoy arrived at the Royal Palace of Caserta finding the bidet
The Royal Palace of Caserta, located near Naples, was originally built in the mid-18th century by Charles VII of Naples (later Charles III of Spain), from the Bourbon dynasty. The palace, designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, was intended to be a symbol of Bourbon power and rival the grandeur of France’s Palace of Versailles. After its completion, it served as a royal residence for the Bourbon kings of Naples.
However, in the mid-19th century, the political landscape of Italy began to change. The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, under the leadership of King Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy, played a central role in the unification of Italy. Through military campaigns led by figures like Giuseppe Garibaldi and political maneuvers by Count Cavour, the Italian states were gradually unified.
In 1861, Italy was officially unified, and Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed the first King of a united Italy. The unification led to the annexation of southern Italy, including the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, which had been under Bourbon control. As part of this process, the Savoys took control of former Bourbon properties, including the Royal Palace of Caserta.
This is the historical context in which the Savoys found the first bidet in history. The Piedmontese didn’t even know what a bidet was. When they drew up the inventory of the goods found in the Palace, not knowing how to define it, they described it as: a “strange object in the shape of a guitar“.
Curiosity about the Bidet
Two little curiosities. The first concerns the etymology: the term bidet, in French, also indicates “pony“. The homonymy is due to the position assumed when using the bidet, similar to that assumed when riding a pony.
The second is about the fact that, when the new hygienic-sanitary standards for living spaces in Italy, were established in 1975, the installation of the bidet has been mandatory. Today it is considered a compulsory equipment in the bathroom together with a toilet, bathtub or shower, and sink.
About The Author
