In the footsteps of Napoleon

Immerse yourself in the Napoleonic era! This year, special attention will be paid to the relationship between Victor Hugo and Napoleon.

PROGRAMME :

10.00 am: Guided tour of the Imperial Palace ‘The Hôtel Désandrouin, also known as the Imperial Palace’
The few nights Napoleon Bonaparte spent there led to this 18th-century townhouse being renamed the ‘Imperial Palace’. Discover its original history and the era defined by this imperial interlude.
Meet in front of the Palace, at 17 Rue du Puits d’Amour in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

11.00 am: Guided tour of the Column of the Grande Armée: ‘The Column as told by Victor Hugo’
‘What link connects Victor Hugo to the Column of the Grande Armée? From the height of the First Empire to the upheavals of the 19th century, discover the monument through the life, commitments and thoughts of one of France’s greatest writers.’

12 noon: Guided tour of the Imperial Castle of Pont-de-Briques “A tour of the Emperor’s apartments at the Castle of Pont-de-Briques, Napoleon I’s headquarters at the Camp de Boulogne, with commentary by the Centre for Napoleonic Studies (CEN)”
In 1966, a ring-road project planned to raze Pont-de-Briques to the ground. Fernand Beaucour founded the Society for the Preservation of the Imperial Castle of Pont-de-Briques, secured a diversion of the ring road and had the castle listed as a historic monument: Pont-de-Briques was saved! Since then, the Emperor’s apartments have been preserved so that, in due course, they can be furnished and decorated as they were during the time of the Camp de Boulogne.
As you wander through these rooms steeped in history – where the campaign leading to Austerlitz was planned and where hundreds of decisions were taken by the Emperor – you will discover the modesty of his private quarters and share in the thrill of following in the footsteps of Napoleon and his closest associates.
Meet in front of the Château, at 92 Avenue du Docteur Croquelois in Saint-Léonard.

3.00 pm: Talk on Victor Hugo, Napoleon and ‘the Boulogne Column’ by Jean-Marc Hovasse, at the Confiserie de Wimille, 70 Rue Bon Secours, 62126 Wimille
Victor Hugo discovered Boulogne during his journey through northern France and Belgium with Juliette Drouet in 1837. He was enchanted by the town – at least by its setting and the coast – more so than by its column or the basilica then under construction. Less than four years later, the town called upon him again: the National Guard asked him to compose a hymn for the unveiling of the statue of Napoleon intended to crown the column. The very unusual story behind this poem remains a fascinating episode in the wider history of the relationship between Victor Hugo and Napoleon.
Jean-Marc Hovasse, a professor of literature at Sorbonne University, is writing a biography of Victor Hugo (Fayard, 2001 and 2008; the third volume is in preparation).
As evidenced by his first book (Victor Hugo chez les Belges, Brussels, Le Cri, 1994) and several articles (“Victor Hugo in the Hauts-de-France (1825–1871)”,
*Revue du Nord*, 2023, ‘Victor Hugo and Boulogne-sur-Mer: the forgotten poem’, to be published in 2026), he has taken a particular interest in Victor Hugo’s journey to Boulogne in 1837.

5.00 pm: Concert at the Confiserie in Wimille: ‘Winterreisen by Franz Schubert’, performed by La Filature (tenor and pianist)
Winterreisen: an immersive reinterpretation of Franz Schubert’s masterpiece. Conceived as a sensory and poetic journey, this concert invites the audience to explore the inner landscapes of winter and the human soul.
On stage, tenor Yves Vandenbussche and pianist Thomas Saghezchi (piano & digital piano) will join forces to offer a performance of this timeless cycle that is as daring as it is moving.

Details

• Free
• Booking is required for each event of the day via edu.colonne@monuments-nationaux.fr or on +33(0)6 87 07 56 53