Travel Guide Antsahadinta

Antsahadinta, or "the Field of Leeches" is located 20 km south of Tana, in the middle of centuries-old royal trees, formerly planted only on noble sites, because the ancestors considered them sacred. In one of the few remaining "ancestor" forests in the Highlands (where small leeches once swarmed, hence its name), at an altitude of 1,404 m, Antsahadinta is a privileged place to learn about the history of the Merinas and to meditate in front of beautiful landscapes. The historical vestiges of the 18th century, such as the tombs of the sovereigns or the wooden huts are not as well preserved as in Ambohimanga, but the charm still operates.The first king known here was Andriamangarira (around 1725). It is him who dug 7 ditches (hadivory) to fortify the city. Around 1794, Antsahadinta became one of the twelve sacred hills of Andrianampoinimerina, who placed his wife Rabodozafimanjaka there. She and her father Andriantsiramanjaka, prince of Alasora, built the rova or royal palace, a vast quadrilateral of about 500m2, to house the houses and the royal tombs. The tomb of the first king was built on a rock (which can be seen at the entrance of the site). Later (in 1825), Radama I built a school where people learned to work with silver and especially silk. English missionaries were in charge of the education of the young children, and are most probably at the origin of the reformed (protestant) church.