Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Victor Hugo Museum is housed in a house acquired in 1951 by the Seine-Maritime department and opened to the public in 1959. His creation was made possible thanks to the gifts of the heirs Vacquerie, who offered personal objects, furniture, photographs, books and letters by Victor Hugo. These initial collections were then enriched by the Departmental Council, with acquisitions of original editions, political newspapers, cartoons, and drawings by Victor Hugo, reflecting his commitment and art.

The house, a former property of the Vacquerie family, features Victor Hugo's life through thematic pieces. The salon evokes Auguste Vacquerie, Hugo's friend and son-in-law, while other spaces trace the exile of the writer to the Channel Islands (1852-1870), his relationship to childhood through his drawings for his grandchildren, or the relationship with his wife Adèle Foucher and his muse Juliette Drouet. A room is dedicated to the drama of drowning of his daughter Leopoldine and Charles Vacquerie, illustrated by letters and newspapers of the time.

The museum also offers temporary exhibitions and a graphic arts firm where fragile manuscripts and drawings are kept, accessible on request. Labeled "Museum of France", it offers an intimate dive into Victor Hugo's personal and creative world, while celebrating the close links between the writer and Normandy, notably through the figure of Vacquerie, a family of havre shipowners.

The museum's official address is located in Villequier (Seine-Maritime), although some sources mention Rives-en-Seine, reflecting recent administrative developments. The site benefits from a location deemed "a priori satisfactory", with a geographical precision noted 6/10 in the heritage databases.

External links