Tribute to the Resistance Against Slavery

The tribute to those who resisted slavery

The Saint-Denis audio-guided tour here marks a moment of memory before the tribute paid to those who resisted slavery. It is impossible to recount the history of Reunion without evoking, with gravity and respect, this period among the darkest of its past.

The memory of a tragic period

The colony of Bourbon, long isolated, was gradually settled from 1665, when the India Company, created by Colbert, sent there settlers from France, Madagascar and the Indies. The rise of the plantations then led to the establishment of slavery, which deeply marked the island. Enslaved men and women resisted, sometimes by fleeing to the heights, the famous maroons, whose memory is honoured here.

What there is to see

This place of memory pays tribute to those who resisted slavery and fought for their freedom. It invites contemplation and reflection on this painful page of Reunion's history, which the city chooses not to conceal. One pauses there with gravity, in the respect due to the memory of the victims and those who resisted.

Practical information

The tribute to those who resisted slavery can be seen freely, in the open air, along the tour in the centre of Saint-Denis. A place of memory, it calls for a contemplative and respectful attitude. It invites you to extend the reflection on the history of slavery and abolition on Reunion.

Whom does this place of memory honour ?

It honours those who resisted slavery on Reunion and fought for their freedom, including the maroons who took refuge in the heights.

Why mention slavery in the tour ?

Because this period deeply marked the island's history; the city chooses to honour its memory rather than conceal it.