Villequier is a worthwhile literary stopover for tourists meandering along the Seine River. The experience, however, is a tragic one. It was in Villequier that Charles Vacquerie and Léopoldine, his young wife, were swept by a tidal bore on September 4, 1843. Léopoldin was the daughter of poet Victor Hugo. He paid tribute to his daughter in one of his works, turning a personal tragedy into a catastrophe experienced by everybody. Every Frenchmen is familiar with the famous line: “Et quand j’arriverai, je metrrai sur sa tombe un bouquet de verdure et de bruyère en fleurs”, which means “And when I arrive, I shall place on her grave a bouquet of greenery and heather in bloom.”[1]
Villequier’s main feature is the Victor-Hugo Museum, which consists of a house and garden that has been open to the public since 1959. Inside, you’ll find items belonging to the Victor Hugo family, including preserved furniture and a living room that stresses Auguste Vacquerie and testifies of the life of Victor Hugo. While the billiard room stores temporary exposures and presentation files on Victor Hugo, other sections star Mrs. Hugo, his daughter, son, and son-in-law. There are also cabinets and displays of various original manuscripts, drawings, and correspondences of the famous writer and political journalist.[2]
References:
Gaudez, René, Hervé Champollion, and Angela Moyon. Tour of Normandy. Rennes: Éditions Ouest-France, 1996. ISBN: 2737317185.
“Musée Départemental Victor Hugo – The Victor Hugo Museum.” < http://musees-haute-normandie.fr/fiche.php3?lang=en&id_article=1429>
[1] Gaudez, 99
[2] Musée
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