Victor Hugo's House

Victor Hugo's House

Victor Hugo (February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a leading figure among French Romantic writers. In his 83 years of life, Hugo experienced nearly all the major events of 19th-century France. The vast body of poetry, novels, plays, essays, literary criticism, and political writings he left behind form an important part of French cultural heritage.

If the best way to understand a writer is to learn about their life, then the Maison de Victor Hugo in Paris is a must-visit for anyone wanting to know more about Hugo. Also known as the Victor Hugo Museum, this historic residence is located in Paris’s Place des Vosges. Built in 1605, it was home to the renowned author for 16 years between 1832 and 1848. Today, the museum recreates scenes from several key periods of the great writer’s life.

In 1902, on the centenary of Hugo’s birth and following the suggestion of his loyal friend and supporter Paul Maurice, the City of Paris transformed the apartment into the Maison de Victor Hugo museum. In addition to donating numerous pieces of furniture and personal items that had belonged to Hugo, as well as his paintings, poems, books, and manuscripts, Paul Maurice also commissioned artworks dedicated to Hugo from various artists, including a sculpture by Auguste Rodin. The Victor Hugo Museum opened to the public on June 30, 1903.

It is these furnishings, donated by Paul Maurice — along with some pieces that Hugo himself took with him — that make up the core exhibits of the museum today, recreating the atmosphere of the spaces where the writer once lived. As such, visiting the museum is like taking a journey through Hugo’s life. The seven exhibition rooms are divided into three main sections, reflecting the three most important phases of Hugo’s life, as categorized by the writer himself in "Acte et Paroles": before, during, and after.

Maison de Victor Hugo

Must-see reason: Paris’s most important Hugo residence

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City where the attraction is located: Paris [Paris]