Snow and Ice Trade Supplied European Elites
Poet involved
What happened
Throughout the 17th century, European aristocrats in cities like Paris and London purchased snow and ice harvested from mountains or frozen rivers. Louis XIV maintained two large ice houses at Versailles, each holding 40,000 cubic feet of ice.
Literary impact
The extravagant use of ice appeared in French and English court poetry as a symbol of royal power and wealth. Poets like Molière and later Alexander Pope referenced the luxury of chilled drinks and cooled chambers in their satirical works.
Source: Wikipedia
