Flaubert's use of real locations in Paris for his novels

Architecture and the French Novel

Second Empire architecture and the great department stores are a powerful visitor attraction for Paris in the twenty-first century. Many of the buildings of this period are extravagant mixtures of architectural style using references to gothic but with new building technologies, for example the iron girder, which reflect both France's imperial status and its material gains.  The French empire included both Vietnam and Algeria during this period, indeed the 1885 Maupassant novel, Bel Ami begins with its main character, Duroy, returning from military service in Algeria, and later in the story, land speculation in Algeria contributes to his wealth. The novel appears in English as The History of a Scoundrel in 1903 and gives a description of the Folies Bergère, a visitor attraction which had only opened in May 1869.  At the time of writing a further film adaptation of Bel Ami has been released (2012) directed by Declan Donnellan, demonstrating the continued importance of French literature as shared cultural source material in the UK and US. 

Built Heritage of Paris

This dual legacy from the nineteenth century of a burgeoning built environment and a highly politicised intelligentsia of writers provides readers and visitors today with a rich resource for literary tourism.  

https://toureme.substack.com/p/flauberts-use-of-real-locations-in?r=21sgn4