France pittoresque et monumentale. Histoire générale de France illustrée et expliquée par les monuments de toutes les époques

First edition, illustrated with 424 plates (and more than 700 figures) of monuments, costumes, historical scenes, maps... The last volume, on contemporary history, added later, ends in 1842.
Contemporary half cherry red glazed calf. Smooth spine decorated with rococo tools and a central bird tool. Some rubbing. Overall relatively clean and fresh with occasional light foxing on the first 3 volumes, the last two with scattered foxing and yellowed signatures, with some browning at the end of volume 5. In volume 3 from p.91 to 96, brown dampstain at lower corner. Handsome copy, rare in this condition. Armorial bookplate heightened in colors of Paul-Emile Cadilhac, man of letters, editor at L'Illustration, notably for "Demeures et sites romanesques".
While this history of France remains interesting to read (it is full of curious anecdotes and erudition, and Hugo was a skillful compiler), it is much more interesting from a geographical point of view (human and physical) and gives a proper panorama of France in 1834, with numerous statistics. The work possesses above all very rich iconography, notably of all the monuments of France, even those that have disappeared such as the château de Richelieu or the abbey of Cluny...