The monument to Victor Hugo was made in 1905 by the sculptor Lucien Pallez (1853-1933). It was donated by the Franco-Italian League and inaugurated on May 5, 1905.
It represents the popular French writer standing, wrapped in a large cloak, and at his feet is a lion, a symbol of the strength of genius. The figure is pensive and his right hand leans on a large lyre.
On the rectangular marble base, the name of Victor Hugo is engraved in large characters. Under the name, we read the following words, pronounced in 1860 by the illustrious poet in a speech in favor of Garibaldi: "Quel triomphe! quel avènement! quel merveilleux phénomène que l'unité de l'Italie, traversant d'un seul éclair cette variété magnifique de villes sœurs Milan, Turin, Gènes, Florence, Bologne, Pise, Sienne, Vérone, Parme, Palerme, Messine, Naples, Venise, Rome!»
Translation: "What a triumph! what a wonder! what a wonderful phenomenon that the unity of Italy, crossing in a single flash this magnificent variety of sister cities Milan, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Bologna, Pisa, Siena, Verona, Parma, Palermo, Messina, Naples, Venice, Rome!"
Victor Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest and best-known French writers. Outside France, his most famous works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris), 1831. In France, Hugo is known primarily for his poetry collections, such as Les Contemplations (The Contemplations) and La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages).
Hugo was at the forefront of the Romantic literary movement with his play Cromwell and drama Hernani. Many of his works have inspired music, both during his lifetime and after his death, including the musicals Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Misérables. He produced more than 4,000 drawings in his lifetime, and campaigned for social causes such as the abolition of capital punishment.
Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and the artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Panthéon in Paris. His legacy has been honoured in many ways, including his portrait being placed on French currency.
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