Autograph letter to Hugo, written during her Italian journey of 1859-60, recounting her impressions of Genoa, Venice and Milan. She notes the success of Hugo's books in the region; she sympathizes with the Risorgimento and admires Manzoni "ce patriotique vieillard". She bemoans two personal misfortunes (her pension cancelled and a novel refused by La Presse), for which she blames George Sand, and closes with a piece of gossip about Alexandre Dumas and another about the wedding [on 24/01/1860] of Garibaldi and [Giuseppina Raimondi].
Written at Milan.
Marked 'r' (répondu) in Hugo's hand.
Colet was a French poetess, mistress of Flaubert, Cousin, de Vigny, and Villemain.