An Insight in to Les Miserables History
Emmerse yourself in the history of Paris through the insight of Les Miserables
Les Miserables was originally a book written by the author, Victor Hugo and there have been many adaptations since 1935. Although watching this movie you do not feel inspired to live within the story line, this is an inspiring movie that is historically informative based on the French Bourbon Restoration and I would highly recommend booking a trip to Paris.
History behind Les Miserables
Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830)
1815 marked the end of the First French Empire. Napoleon abdicated as emperor, when Napoleon fell from power the first restoration occurred and Louis XVIII took his place and became king.
Napoleon was forced back to power when the second restoration occurred. The final revolution within the Bourbon Restoration occurred in 1830 when there was an uprising from the streets of Paris due to Charles X’s policies showing discontent towards the civilians.
The French Revolution (1787 – 1799)
The French revolution came about before the Bourbon Restoration that Les Miserables was based upon and was the start of an uproar within France.
The French Revolution marked a pivotal point in the timeline of French history. The french revolution was a political war within France that lasted from 1787 – 1799. During 1715 – 1800 the population in France grew exponentially, with 1789 presenting France as having the highest population figure in Europe, estimated to be over 26 million. With such a high demand from a large population for food, resources and produce becoming more expensive due to shortages the majority of the population became poor and were classed as peasants. The poor were outraged by the lack of privileges which led to a protest of war to fight for their rights.
Historical art related to the Les Miserables History
Liberty Leading the People
Liberty leading the people is a famous painting painted by Eugène Delacroix in the year 1830 that is on display in the Louvres museum.
The piece depicts a symbolic woman, Liberty who is leading the people of Paris into battle to sacrifice their lives to a greater future, painted to commemorate the July Revolution. This symbolic character is not a real person but is a personification of the idea of freedom.
“It is striking upon the wall in the Louvre as it is a large scale oil painting and it caught my attention due to the emotion of the story shown within the image.” - Rachel Evans
Click here to book a private tour in Paris to immerse yourself in the history that took place there.
Les Miserables movie filming locations
The majority of the movie sets recreated within 2012 Les Miserables movie, have since changed due to these historical events and an architectural decision to improve the aesthetic within Paris.
The majority of the scenes in Les Miserables 2012 movie are set in England or are sets that were created to resemble the historic city of Paris that has since been changed. There are only two location filmed within France which are aerial views of the southeast of France. If you feel inspired or know someone that is inspired by the history within the storyline shown in Les Miserables, I would recommend going to the famous museums within Paris to gain more knowledge on French history whilst being in the centre of where it took place. Visit getyourguide.com to plan your history filled trip to Paris.
Guernsey’s relation to Les Miserables
Visit Guernsey Evans Inspired Insight
Did you know the original Les Misérables novel was written by the French writer Victor Hugo in his house in the beautiful Island of Guernsey?
Victor Hugo was exiled from France for his political views which led him to eventually move to the island for 15 years. He found inspiration from the views in his home in Guernsey which looked out over the stunning ocean in St Peter Port. This tranquil location inspired him to write the Les Misérables tale. Visit the house of Victor Hugo and take a guided tour.
