Things to see and do Saint-Gilles Les Hauts

Located in the commune of Saint-Paul, Réunion's first "site-museum", built on a vast colonial estate, evokes the prosperity of a Creole family who left their mark on the island's history in the ^17th and ^19th centuries, during the era of slavery. This illustrious family, who built a sugar factory on their estate in Villèle in 1827, contributed to the island's economic development under the leadership of^Mme Desbassayns (1755-1846), an emblematic and highly controversial figure in Reunionese history. Her death marked the end of the estate's prosperity, which passed to the heirs, the fruit of an alliance with a noble family from Toulouse, the Villèle family. The guided tour takes in the master's house (where temporary educational, historical and artistic exhibitions take place), the master's kitchen outside the main building, the slave hospital (where a memorial was inaugurated in 1996) and the remains of the sugar factory. Finally, you can discover the small Pointed Chapel, built on a small hill between 1841 and 1843, a place of worship and the scene of the evangelization of the estate's slaves. The Musée de Villèle also boasts a number of collections, including period furniture, model ships, silverware, prints and lithographs... A fascinating visit that leaves no visitor indifferent. Educational tours are also organized.