Victor Hugo Avenue

You’re on Victor Hugo Avenue! What makes this street so special are the Art Deco-style houses overlooking the many stores. Take a look, for example, at the entrance to number 11 on your left. Walk a little further to the large building on the left, which holds the Victor Hugo shopping center. This is another good example of Art Deco style. If you look up, you’ll notice that this building once belonged to the historic retail chain “Aux Dames de France”, and still bears the inscription. Go a little further and spot numbers 22 and 24, on the right. These two narrow buildings also reflect the Art Deco style. Typical of the 1920s, this architectural style spread rapidly across France for a decade or so – the so-called Roaring Twenties – before dying out in the early 1930s. Harmony, geometric forms, diversified materials and a refined, light style are its main features. It stood in firm opposition to Art Nouveau, its predecessor. If Valence has so many buildings in this style, it’s because it was once home to many renowned architects, such as Henri Garin, Henri Joulie and Louis Brunel, who took advantage of the rise of this new artistic movement to make Valence their playground. What’s more, at the time, Valence was booming and, like most cities after World War I, had to rebuild and renew itself. Remember to look up during your visit – you’re sure to recognize more than one!