Victor Hugo Museum, housed in the 280m² apartment of Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo has lived for more than 15 years (1832-1848), will allow you to immerse in the everyday life of one of the greatest writers and poets of all time. It is also a nice occasion to appreciate the charm of a bourgeois apartment of this magnificent Parisian square.
The museum is split in two floors. The first level is dedicated to the temporary exhibitions, where you can also find a part of the museum permanent collection, made up of texts, drawings and other documents belonging to the author. As for the building itself, named the Hotel Rohan-Guéménée, it is known to be one of the loveliest of the Place des Vosges.
Then, go upstairs to the second floor, where Victor Hugo’s house is located. It is a reconstitution of the writer’s living space according to drawings and archives, since the furniture was sold after the exile, and the building was redesigned. Be assured though that you will find lots of original pieces the City of Paris was able to recover, some of which are rather surprising, like furniture painted by Victor Hugo himself.
You will also see reconstitutions of the other apartments where the Hugo family lived (Guernesey and the Hotel de l’Avenue d’Eylau) while following the tumultuous chronology of the writer, mainly marked by his political exile.
Paintings, manuscripts, sculptures and period furniture: the museum mixes different types of artwork, in order for you to discover the privacy of a man of influence, seriously affected by personal tragedies (in particular, his daughter’s death in Paris) and driven by political convictions he will never deny.