Victor Hugo’s Hauteville House offers the rare opportunity to delve into the heart and soul of the famous French writer. Here, on the charming British Channel Island, Guernsey, Hugo lived in exile for 14 years while publishing his most famous works, Les Miserables. Additionally, through Hauteville House, Hugo expressed his sensitivities as an Interior Decorator. Thus, visiting here allows visitors to experience the creative genius of this literary giant in many ways. Read on to take a Victor Hugo Hauteville House tour and learn about the life of this literary genius.
Victor Hugo’s Literary Achievements
“A Writer is a world trapped in a person.” – Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is the most well-known French writer of the Romanic Movement, as a Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. Most noteworthy, his greatest masterpiece is the famous novel, Les Miserables, also performed as the popular musical. Overall, here is a timeline of Hugo’s most famous work. Also, the ones highlighted in blue were published while Hugo lived in Hauteville House.
1829- The Last Condemned Man
1831 Hunchback of Notre Dame
1856-The Contemplations (Poetry)
1859-83 (3 Stages) – The Legend of the Ages (Poetry)
1862- Le Miserables
1866- Toileries of the Sea
Hugo’s Political Side Exiled in Guernsey
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo
In France, Hugo became famous for his political views as well as his literary works. Changing from conservative to more liberal views, he became a Champion for issues, such as, social injustice, freedom of the press and the death penalty. When Napoleon III took control of France in 1851, he abolished France’s democracy. Thus, Hugo accused Napoleon of being a ‘Traitor’ and, therefore, was exiled.
Then, in 1856 Hugo purchased his only home, the Hauteville House in Guernsey, one of the beautiful British Channel Islands. Here, he spent some of his most prolific years as a writer, publishing his most famous and epic work, Les Miserables. During his stay, he wrote that “a month’s work here is worth a year in Paris.” Finally, in 1870 he returns to his homeland of Paris, when the government fell from the Franco-Prussian War.
Hugo Decorates the Hauteville House as a Creative Sanctuary
“I think I missed my calling. I should have been an Interior Decorator.” – Victor Hugo
From 1856-70, Victor Hugo lived in Hauteville House, while exiled from France. Perched on a hill, this majestic mansion with 5 floors and a belvedere overlooks St. Peter Port in Guernsey. As the only house that was his own, the entire home is a canvass expressing his creative Genius. Most importantly, Hugo designed and furnished the entire mansion with his own personal extravagant and meaningful style. Thus, every room, wall, art and piece of furniture has symbolic meaning in reference to Hugo’s writings and philosophies.
In my tour, the guide immediately informed us of the fundamental infrastructure of the house as the principle of ascension of consciousness. For example, the shadows of the first floor become more light as you climb each floor, ultimately finding a belvedere of light and panoramic views on the top floor. The spiral staircase with a skylight on the ceiling symbolizes the ascension in consciousness at each higher floor. Most importantly, Hugo did most of his writing on the top floor, flooded with light looking out into the sea.
Ground Floor – Victor Hugo Hauteville House
The entrance hall is the vestibule symbolizing the passage between nature and manmade architecture. It’s decorated as a pergola with it greenery-vined wallpaper on the walls and ceilings. There is a billiard table entertainment room with family portraits and drawings journaling his memories of travels. Also, there is a tapestry room next to the greenhouse for his winter garden. His dining room is decorated with the elegant blue and white Dutch Delft tiles. Most importantly, at this table Hugo fed and entertained the hungry children.
First Floor
This floor showcases red and blue rooms in Chinese decorations used as the reception rooms for guests leading out to balconies for views. The bold red salon represents the romantic dramas of Hugo. Among an omnipresence of red and gold-lacquer, it is adorned with tapestries and Chinese silk with colorful embroidery. In contrast, the blue salon is more serenely composed with its peacock blue, lacquered-gold and mother-of-pearl.
Second Floor
The masculine Oak Gallery is a study and bedroom intricately carved in a Renaissance-inspired design. The large room opens onto the library landing, which encompasses the entire front garden. Additionally, this ornate woodwork, with old tapestries and leather, adorned by copper nails, is an extravagant display of a man in exile.
Third Floor
The anteroom located under the roof was the first study of Victor Hugo. Most noteworthy, here he wrote the first part of the Legend of Centuries and Les Miserables. Also, the sloping walls and sofas with the golden brocatelle ceiling gives a cozy feel for writing and contemplation.
The Look-out
Lastly, the top floor is the climax of the house, with its fully-glazed room, allowing panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Ultimately, the Look-out room symbolizes the highest of consciousness and is in fact where Hugo wrote some of his masterpieces.
Gardens of Victor Hugo
Perched on the hill, the lush, green landscape of the backyard gardens is a stunning view from all the balconies with the infinite blue sea beyond, reaching into the horizon. I walked the colorful gardens noticing plants, such as, fig trees, vegetable gardens, blue wisteria, red camellia’s and fuchsia rhododendrons. Hugo installed the symbolic basin with the Snake fountain from Place Royale along with a masonry bench.
Overall, Victor Hugo Hauteville House
Overall, this house is a testament to the true Renaissance Man that Victor Hugo was. Being there is ultimately an inspiration and manifesto, like one of his poems, drawings or novels of his creative genius. Touring this house will tell you more about Victor Hugo, the man, than any biography or photo. It eloquently expresses that this mansion on his adopted island became the hearth of his soul.
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