Introduction to the Pigeon Hotel: There is a "Pigeon Hotel" to the left of the Swan Cafe. A bronze plaque in front of the door reads: "Hugo once lived here." There is a bedroom on the fourth floor of this building, which is now called the "Hugo Memorial Hall".
In Hugo's life, he lived here 15 times and lived here for a total of 1,247 days. Hugo first came to Brussels at the end of 1851. On December 2 of that year, Louis Bonaparte launched a coup, restored the monarchy, and proclaimed himself emperor of the Second French Empire. Bonaparte's perverse behavior aroused fierce resistance. Hugo bravely took to the streets to protest against Bonaparte's crimes, and was hunted down by the authorities. On December 11, Hugo crossed the border and came to Brussels with the passport of compositor Langwan. He stayed temporarily in the "Green Door Hotel" and the "Limburg Hotel" in the Grand Place, and finally chose the Pigeon Hotel. His room faced the Grand Place, and the beautiful view of the rows of rooftops was particularly pleasing to his eye. He said in a letter to his wife: "The Grand Square is compact and exquisite like a piece of jewelry inlaid with jewelry." "However, I prefer the tranquility here."