Visiting Hauteville House on Guernsey – home of Victor Hugo

In France Victor Hugo was and still is considered a literary superstar and visiting Hauteville House, Hugo’s home on Guernsey opened my eyes to the  genius that created this extraordinary house. Hugo himself said, “I missed my vocation, I was born to be an interior decorator”.

Before I visited Guernsey, I only knew Victor Hugo as the storyteller behind Les Misérables, one of my favorite epic musicals. I’m addicted to a rousing chorus of “Can you hear the people sing?”

You may have also watched the Disney cartoon, The Hunchback of Notre Dame without realizing that it was based on the Victor Hugo novel, Notre Dame de Paris.

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Who is Victor Hugo

In October 1855 Victor Hugo, the celebrated French poet and novelist arrived on Guernsey braving heavy seas, wind and rain. For the three years before he had lived on Jersey.

He left Paris in a hurry due to his political satirization of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in his pamphlet “Napeleon le Petit.” Now, because of his outspoken political views he had been expelled from Jersey too.

The Hauteville

Settling on Guernsey, the success of his poetry in Contemplations allowed him the money to purchase this former corsair’s house set high on the hill with views over Castle Cornet and the harbor of St Peter Port. Into Hauteville House he poured his creative energies and over the next couple of years transformed it into a rich and exotic showcase, packed with antiques and gorgeous textiles.

Like a magpie he raided all the local antique shops for French tapestries, Turkish carpets, Chinese silks, Delft tiles and old sea chests which were deconstructed and recreated by local craftsmen to suit his vision.

If you need a place to stay: Duke of Richmond Hotel – well located in St Peter Port with elegant contemporary décor, a terrace and outdoor pool

Touring the Hauteville

Victor Hugo eventually returned to France. After his death Hauteville House was bequeathed to the City of Paris who opened it to the public. The house is one of the major attractions of St Peter Port and is especially popular with French visitors. 

Arriving at 11am I discovered that visits to the house are only as part of a timed tour. These quickly fill up and the next available tour was at 12.30. Entry to the garden is free, but as it was raining heavily, I decided to descend the hill and have a look around Castle Cornet until it was time for the tour.

At the start of the tour we gathered in the small hallway, like being in the waiting room with a small kiosk to buy books and postcards. Otherwise not much different to Victor Hugo’s day when a servant would have been at hand to take your hat and coat.

The plain, flat fronted house gave no clue to the richness inside, or to the large, country style garden at the back with roses, trees and fountains.

If you need a place to stay: Old Government House: a classic and elegant 5 star hotel that was once the Governor’s residence.

Portraits at the Billiard Room

From the dark, oak paneled hallway we moved into the the billiard room. The large table dominated the room and the rich, red walls were covered with family portraits.

Two of the portraits were of Victor Hugo’s favorite daughter Leopoldine. Sadly Leopoldine drowned at the age of 19, when her boat overturned on the Seine and was lamented in many of Hugo’s poems.

The next room on the ground floor was covered in Aubusson tapestries combined with more carved wooden paneling. Our guide invited us to count the number of doors in the room.

Of course there were those that we entered and left by, but also the central table made out of a door. Also, the door to the concealed photographic dark room that was used by his son, Charles Hugo.

Victor Hugo loved these tapestries for their decorative effect and paid no attention to their value. He would cut them up to fit the rooms or make deliberate holes in them to let in more light.

If you need a place to stay: Fermain Valley Hotel: With elegant rooms, an indoor swimming pool and view of the sea, the hotel is just a 5 minute walk from the beach.

The Dining Room

On the ground floor was also the dining room, covered with white and blue Delft tiles. Above the fireplace the tiles were arranged in an oversized H motif. This signified both H for Hugo and H for Hauteville House.

A carved wooden throne was built into the space between the two windows. On the back of the chair are the words, ABSENTES ADSUNT, The Absent are Present. On the wall above the door is found the Latin motif, EXILIUM VITA EST which can be read as either Life is an Exile or Exile is life.

Everywhere in the house are decorative and literary motifs that encapsulate Hugo’s belief system. The significance of these would not be obvious to the casual visitor.

The H in the dining room also signifies Hugo’s main preoccupations; Homme, Héros, Humanité. In the hall are the words AMA. CREDE. which he explained in a letter to his mistress, Juliette Drouet;

“Oh! that our spirit should always return to this: believe; and our heart always to this: love. Love – Believe. This is what I wrote above the door to my house. I am also writing it on the door to my heart, which opens onto love, and on the door of your heart, which opens onto heaven.”

The Red and Blue Reception Rooms

Our tour moved upstairs to the first floor. Here there are two sumptuous receptions rooms that run together to make one large space for entertaining.

The Red room is hung with opulent red damask with gilt statues, chandeliers and silk hangings. It gives the impression of a very expensive tart’s boudoir.

The Blue reception room was only a little more restrained, but equally beautiful. Chinese silk hangings, covered with gold beading covered the walls and the ceiling. There was a craze for all things oriental in Europe at the time. Hugo wrote in his diary;

“Bought the entire lot of Chinese silks from an English officer who took part in the exhibition and who had taken it from the Summer Palace of the Emperor of China”

The Bedroom

Up another floor onto the second floor and the oak gallery was covered with paneling including the four poster bed of Victor Hugo’s bedroom although he rarely slept there. The sides and lids of old carved sea chests decorate the walls.

The Crystal Room

My favorite room was at the very top of the house where Victor Hugo had made a conservatory in the sky. It boasted expansive views across the bay. The decor included some of the same Delft tiles and tapestry covered banquettes that are seen elsewhere in the house.

Known as the Crystal room or Lookout, a circle of glass on the floor lets light down to the floor below. This room was freezing in winter and so hot in summer that the silver of the mirrors bubbled. Nonetheless, it was Victor Hugo’s favorite place to work.

Where his Great Works were Made

He would sit working at a small writing table by the open windows, even in the freezing winter. It was in this small space like a sea captain’s cabin that Hugo wrote some of his great works such as Les Misérables and Les Travailleurs de la mer (Toilers of the Sea).

At the other end of the room is a small bench seat covered with embroideries and velvet. Hugo normally slept here, with a little hidden cupboard for his basin of water. From up here, Hugo could gaze out to sea but also over to his mistresses house in the same neighbourhood.

The Garden

Once we had completed our tour of Hauteville House, we were free to explore the large, country-style garden with views over the bay. We explored herbaceous borders, yew hedges, climbing roses and fountains.

From the front of the house, you would never guess that this garden lies behind the house. It’s an ideal place to look around while waiting for your tour, if the weather is fine.

The Experience

I really enjoyed discovering Victor Hugo through Hauteville House. I learned of his life on Guernsey and the outspoken political views that led to his exile.

His marital arrangements with both a wife and mistress seemed to be very much part of the family and his wonderfully exotic decorating style. He was was in my mind not only a literary giant but a decorator extraordinaire.

Accommodation on Guernsey

We stayed on Guernsey at Albany Apartments in St Peter Port, for comfortable self-catering holiday apartments that are ideal for families.

The St Pierre Park Hotel, a 4 star hotel with golf course set in parkland beside a lake.

Check out more hotels on Guernsey.

Visitor information for Guernsey

Hauteville House is a short walk up the hill from St Peter Port harbor. It’s managed by the City of Paris and entry is by timed guided tour. To book your timed tour arrive at the house and reserve the next available tour. Contact Hauteville House on +44 (0) 1481 721911 or e-mail [email protected] . The House address is 38 Hauteville St Peter Port GY1 1DG.

You’ll find more things to see and do on the Visit Guernsey website, Twitter or Facebook.

We flew to Guernsey with Aurigny Airlines who fly to Guernsey from Bristol and other UK destinations. You can also book flights with Blue Islands Airlines and take the ferry with Condor Ferries from Poole or Portsmouth. We picked up our hire car from Hertz at the airport, who are also able to deliver your hire car to your holiday accommodation.

You may like to explore the works of Victor Hugo, such as Les Miserables or the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

More to see on Guernsey

A meander around St Peter Port and our stay at Albany Apartments
Guernsey, The German Occupation and Potato Peel Pie
Family Impressions of Guerney – French, English, neither or both?

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Photo Credits: Some photos from Guernsey Images by Chris George, others by Heatheronhertravels.com

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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