Sugar cane history and historical heritage give Pamplemousses two distinct cultural perspectives. L’Aventure du Sucre is dedicated to sugar production; the church and cemetery offer insight into architectural and commemorative history. Nearby, Bassin des Esclaves adds a place whose history is connected to enslavement. You can therefore make your choices according to the topics you would like to explore in more depth: production history, church heritage or historic places of remembrance.
Sugar Cane History at the Museum
L’Aventure du Sucre is an interactive museum in a former sugar cane factory. A signposted route guides visitors through the exhibition spaces and provides a clear direction for the visit. The exhibits focus on sugar production, the sugar cane harvest and the various processing stages. Information panels, videos and images are presented alongside interactive areas, so the topics are explored in several formats. If you are particularly interested in production processes, you can focus on the harvest and the individual processing stages. The building’s former use and the exhibition’s focus both relate to sugar production.
Church and Historic Cemetery
Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Pamplemousses was built in 1735 in honour of the governor of Isle de France, François Mahé de Labourdonnais, and wealthy settlers of the time. The year and dedication give the building a specific historical context: they identify both the governor of the time and the wealthy settlers as the people in whose honour the church was built. An old cemetery lies near the church, where several graves are classified as historic monuments. The grave of Buonavita, Napoleon’s chaplain, is also located there. Here, architectural history meets the memory of a historically named person.
Another Historic Site Nearby
Bassin des Esclaves is a few metres from the SSR Botanical Garden and near the rear of the Government Primary School. It stands as a testament to times past: enslaved people were bathed there before being auctioned. This history gives the site a specific historical context and distinguishes it thematically from the museum’s focus on sugar production and the architectural and burial history surrounding the church. Here, the focus is on another chapter of the past and on the people whose history is connected to the basin.
The Broader Exhibition Context in Pamplemousses
In the wider destination of Pamplemousses, the exhibition at L’Aventure du Sucre also explores a broader historical context. It covers the history of Mauritius and its close connection with sugar cane, the importance of sugar in the past and present, and the history of the global sugar trade. The subject matter thus extends beyond harvesting and processing, connecting the island’s history with sugar’s role in international trade. Previous temporary exhibitions have also included examples of Mauritian photographic art, as well as food and hunger.
Discover more destinations: D'Epinay, Triolet, Trou Aux Biches, Long Mountain, Balaclava, Tombeau Bay, Pointe Aux Piments
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