Les Miserables locations

Valjean's path from Montreuil sur Mer to Arrass en route to Champmathieu's trial. He covered about 45 miles in one night--which for the the early 19th century was a long distance to cover.

Approx. location of Valjean's House after leaving the convent with Cosette. The current Rue Plumet is no longer in the same location as Rue Plumet in 1832. Rue Plumet used to run diagonally from the Avenue de Breteuil south of the intersection of the Avenue de Villars and the Blvd des Invalides. It dead-ended near the hospital. Rue Eble and Rue Oudiont combined form the historical Rue Plumet. There was a narrow corridor depositing onto the Rue de Babylone about a quarter mile away.

Location of the house where Valjean first lived when he recovered Cosette from the Thenardiers. He moved from here after being discovered by Javert and entered the Convent Picpus. Later on, the Thenardiers and Maris lived in this tenement. It was on the historic edges of Paris, and at the time this area was not heavily trafficed, according to Hugo. The Salpetriere up the road is mentioned on several occasions. Other surrounding roads such as the Rue Banqiuer and the Rue Poliveau are also mentioned.

Javert committed suicied between the Pont au Change and the Pont Notre Dame by throwing himself in the Seine. In the distance he could see both the Palais due Justice on his right and Notre Dame on his left, symbolizing his conflict between justice and grace. He was quite literally standing between the two.

Location of M. Guillenormand's home in the Marais district. Marius initially lived here with his grandfather but left in a bitter separation due to their different political views and M. G's disrespectful treatment of the memory of Marius' father

The Thernardiers lived in Montfermeil when they first met Cosette. Their inn was in this approximate location before they fell into financial ruin and moved to the Gorbeau tenement. Valjean picked up Cosette here. The stretch of road called Rue de la Fontaine Jean Valjean seems fairly faithful to the path he would have taken from Chelles to Montfermeil

Location where Marius first saw Cosette. Valjean and Cosette would come to this park daily from their residence in the Rue Plumet. They sat near the Rue de l'Ouest (the current Rue D'Assas)

This church is mentioned several times as a landmark near the scenes taking place at the Gorbeau tenement. Its clock often signals the time

Location where Valjean and Cosette would attend mass

Location of Courfeyrac's apartment, where Marius lived after he left the Gorbeau tenement

Likely place of entry of Valjean into Digne les Bains. Valjean had been headed from the south (one of his previous stops had been L'Asse).

The town hall, where Valjean was forced to register when he entered the city as part of the terms of his parole.

The main cathedral in the center of Digne les Bains. After being rejected from all other sites, the bitter Valjean shook his fist at the church

Valjean sought shelter in this prison, but he was told that he could stay there only if he were arrested

Valjean wanders past this Prefecture on his way back to the city of Digne

Valjean was held in prison in Toulon for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread and for multiple escape attempts

One of the cities along Valjean's route from Toulon to Digne les Bains

A city on Valjean's route to Digne les Bains

Location where Fantine sold her teeth

Location of the office of the mayor--where Valjean's office would have been

Instead of living in the "upper town" in the city center, Valjean lived in the "low town." The reason why isn't stated, but symbolically it shows that he felt isolated from the rest of the city. Tremendous walls separate the "upper town" from the "low town."

This is where the trial of Champmathieu was held, during which Valjean revealed his identity to prevent Champmathieu from being falsely condemned

Not sure of the exact location of this street. I suspect that Hugo might have created it, as it doesn't appear on the map. Hugo describes the road as small and narrow, blocked to traffic on both ends. It lies near the Blanc-Manteaux road, and it's near Rue de Chaume (now-a-days the Rue des Archives), where Gavroche skipped along smashing lights. All the roads that intersect with Blancs-Manteaux are named except for two, so I suspect Rue de l'Homme Arme is one of these un-named streets. One is the current Rue des Guillemites. The other is this street--the Rue Pecquay. In 1832 this road was a dead-end off of Blancs-Manteaux instead of a full street, hence my hypothesis that this narrow stub is the Rue de l'Homme Arme.

Historic location of the bishop's palace (the "eveche"--this is the Place de l'Eveche). M. Myriel traded his palace with the small hospital next door to provide the hospital with a larger building. So M. Myriel's house would have been very close to here.

Rue Lacepede appears to correspond with the former Rue Coupeau. Valjean passed through here while escaping from Javert

Valjean passed by the police post on the Rue Pointoise when escaping from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Location along Valjean's escape from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Clock was striking 11 pm from this church while Valjean was escaping from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Location in Valjean's escape from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Appears to be the location of the former street Rue de Batoir Saint-Victor, along which Valjean roamed when escaping from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Rue de l'Epee de Bois, along which Valjean roamed when escaping from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Road along which Valjean escaped from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Former Rue des Postes (now the Rue Lhomond), along which Valjean escaped from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

Former location of Rue Neuve St. Genevieve (currently the Rue Torurnefort), along which Valjean escaped from Javert from the Gorbeau tenement

At the juncture of the Rue des Postes and the Rue Neuve-Sainte Genevieve, Valjean recognized Javert as his pursuant

After wandering in the quarter of the Rue Mouffetard, and after recognizing Javert at the intersection of the Rue des Postes and the Rue Genevieve, Valjean cuts along the lower end of the Jardin des Plants to the Pont d'Austerlitz and crosses.

Valjean escapes from Javert by retreating into the Petit Picpus convent over a wall. However, my book indicates that this whole complex never really existed and is based broadly on the Quartier Saint-Victor (Hugo even seems to make a little joke to this end, referring to "Le Petit-Picpus, which scarcely existed and was never more than the approximation of a quarter"). Valjean was headed in this direction from Javert, and the convent was located in the Faubourg St. Antoine, and near this location in 1832 was an orphanage. So this seems::text like an appropriate representative spot for the convent

Marius' group of revolutionary friends, the the ABC Society, met at the Cafe Musain in the Place St. Michel

M. Mabeuf first lived on the Rue de Mezieres, but it grew too expensive. So after a brief stay on the Blvd Montparnasse, he moved near the Salpetriere, in what was at the time the village of Austerlitz.

After leaving the Rue Mezieres, M. Mabeuf moved to the village of Austerlitz near the Salpetriere. This is not identifiable on the 1832 map, so this location--near both the Pont d'Austerlitz and the Salpetriere, seems a reasonable estimate. The book also mentions that he rented out a space in the Jardin des Plants

Rough location of the "Lark's Field," which Marius associated with Cosette, since she was referred to as the "Lark." Heading east from Saint-Jacques, one passes La Sante and the Glacerie. The Lark's field is just before the Gobelins stream, which no longer exists, but ran just east of this location near the Gobelins Factory. As Hugo indicates, the Val de Grace, the Tree of the Deaf Mutes, and the Pantheon are not far.

Location where Gavroche lived and provided shelter to his brothers. A large elephant monument was supposedly on the SE corder of the Place de la Bastille near the canal

Between the Pont de Change and the Pont Neuf. He drifted downstream to the Palais de Justice

Hugo indicates that, heading east from Les Halles along the Rue Rambuetau, the Corinth tavern was to the right on what is now the Rue Mondetour

Church of St. Paul

Location where Valjean was burid

One of Valjean's homes. From here he would walk to the Jardin de Luxembourg daily and attend mass every day at the Eglise St. Jacques du Haut Pas. He later moved from here to the Rue Plumet