In the footsteps of Jules Verne
Jules Verne deeply loved his adopted city, his city of the heart, and spoke of it in these terms:
"I AM SETTLING IN AMIENS, A WISE AND POLITE TOWN, OF EQUAL TEMPERAMENT. THE SOCIETY THERE IS CORDIAL AND LITERATE. IT IS CLOSE TO PARIS, CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE ITS REFLECTION BUT WITHOUT THE UNBEARABLE NOISE AND STERILE AGITATION"...
maison jules verne redim.l.rousselinThe House of Jules Verne
The house at 2, rue Charles-Dubois, is the residence in which Jules Verne, at the height of his fame, lived from 1882 to 1900.
JULES VERNE MONUMENT
BOULEVARD JULES VERNE
Installed in the public gardens of Place Joffre, this monument was sculpted by Albert Roze in 1908 and represents the writer in bust form and three children reading "Les Voyages Extraordinaires". It is intended as a tribute to Jules Verne from children all over the world! As a result of the funds raised, which were hardly sufficient, the size of the monument was reduced. Behind the bust is a list of Jules Verne's novels...
Monument des Illustrations Picardes - © S.CramponMonument of the Picardy Illustrations - Place Joffre
Imagined by Jules Verne, and located in Place du Maréchal Joffre, this is the most important and best known work of the sculptor Gédéon de Forceville, which celebrates Picardy, its history and its great men. It took about 20 years of work to create this monument which honours 50 historical figures from Picardy (47 men and 3 women) divided into 4 statues, 4 busts (a 5th one accompanies the summit allegory) 8 portraits in medallions and 34 names engraved on 2 plaques!
Colonne Jules Verne - © S.CramponColonne Jules Verne - Rue Vanmarcke
Near the Dodane bridge, in the old Saint-Leu district, a bronze column erected in homage to Jules Verne was commissioned by the city in 2001. The work of the sculptor Yvan Theimer, a Czech sculptor living in Paris, this column is topped by two children representing Jules and Paul Verne. One is holding a large fish and the other a pigeon...
THE LAST HOME OF JULES VERNE
44 BOULEVARD JULES VERNE
The house at 44 bd Jules Verne (bd Longueville at the time), where the Verne family settled in 1873 and moved back in 1900 following his accident. It was here that the writer died on 24 March 1905. A plaque commemorates the event... The house at 23 Boulevard de Guyencourt was the first place where the Verne couple moved in 1871. It was destroyed during the bombings of April 1918 and no plaque commemorates the location.
Tombeau Jules Verne - a.BayesJules Verne’s grave - Cimetière de La Madeleine
The writer's grave is located in the Saint-Maurice district. Ill with diabetes, Jules Verne died on 24 March 1905 in Amiens, attracting a crowd of over 5,000 onlookers to his funeral. This remarkable site contains the graves of numerous well-known people from Amiens. The work of the Amiens sculptor Albert Roze, the tomb of the illustrious writer, entitled "Towards Immortality and Eternal Youth", evokes the theme of resurrection by representing him rising from his grave.
With his torso already freed from its shroud, he lifts the stone with its broken corner from his back, extends his arm and raises his head towards the light.
SAINT-MARTIN CHURCH
25, RUE MORGAN
The present church, located in the centre of a square, was built between 1869 and 1874, to the plans of the Amiens architect Louis Henry Antoine. It is located in a new district where the Amiens bourgeoisie lives, the Henriville district. It was the parish church of Jules Verne and his funeral was held there on 28 March 1905.
Bibliothèque Louis Aragon© L.RousselinLouis Aragon Library - 50 rue de la République
Jules Verne was the administrator of the library created in 1826.
Hôtel de ville© S.CramponHôtel de Ville - Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
Jules Verne was a town councillor for 16 years from 1888 to 1904 but he was never mayor.
Cirque Jules Verne© L.RousselinCirque Jules Verne - Place Longueville
Jules Verne decided to invest in his adopted city in 1888. It was at this time that he decided to have a circus built in the town, an art form that he was passionate about and which is featured in two of his novels.
Musée de Picardie© alice_sidoliMusée de Picardie - 2, rue Puvis de Chavannes
Built between 1855 and 1867 and inaugurated in 1867 under the eyes of Jules Verne, the Musée de Picardie houses an extraordinary collection from the Palaeolithic to the 21st century.
Caisse d'épargne© L.RousselinFormer Caisse d'Epargne - Galerie des Jacobins
Jules Verne frequented this place, having been a director of the Caisse d'Epargne in 1895, then director from 1898 to 1904.
Jules Verne Express - © a.de FrancquevilleLe Jules Verne Express - Place Notre-Dame
Take a tour of Amiens on the Jules Verne Express!
Board the Jules Verne Express and discover the must-see sights of Amiens!
Starting from the Cathedral square, the tour train takes you (depending on the time of year) to the Zoo, the Picardy Museum, Jules Verne’s home and the Hortillonnages, as well as to lesser known places like the Saint-Germain, Saint-Jacques and Saint-Roch quarters.
This tour is enhanced by a commentary and anecdotes to learn everything about the destination.
Everybody aboard the train!
Aire de jeux Jules Verne - © E.CaronLe Square Jules Boquet
A playground on the theme of the famous writer, opposite the Palais de Justice. Five of the writer's works have been chosen for the games and the ground that make up the play square: "From the Earth to the Moon", "Around the World in 80 Days", "A Journey of Discovery by Three Englishmen in Africa", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with rocking octopuses, "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" with a sea serpent...