🖋️ Poet, writer, and politician, Victor Hugo was also a passionate advocate for historic monuments, often lamenting their neglect and destruction.
📜 The concept of heritage as we know it today emerged at the end of the 18th century, shaped by the destruction of iconic monuments and works of art during the French Revolution.
📚 A lover of Gothic architecture, Hugo published Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831. The novel’s immediate success drew attention to the deteriorating state of the cathedral, paving the way for its restoration.
⚒️ A year later, in his pamphlet War on the Demolishers, Hugo condemned the ongoing destruction of “what constitutes the soul and history of a country: its monuments.” He called for action: a law was needed to “halt the hammer that mutilates the nation’s face.”
🏗️ In 1837, the creation of the Commission for Historical Monuments allowed Prosper Mérimée to initiate the restoration of numerous sites. However, it wasn’t until December 31, 1913, that a landmark law laid the foundation for the protection and preservation of monumental and movable heritage in France.
🌟 Victor Hugo’s advocacy continues to inspire, reminding us of the vital role monuments play in preserving our shared memory and identity.
