Cemetery · Saint-Louis
Cimetière du Père Lafosse
A former cemetery at Le Gol in Saint-Louis, associated with the smallpox epidemic of 1729. A memorial tradition links it to enslaved people, but the claim that it was exclusively a “slave cemetery” has not been verified in the records. A place where documented history, the memory of slavery and popular devotion meet.
Why it matters
A place where documented history, the memory of slavery and popular devotion meet.
History
The site is one of the cemeteries established during the 1729 smallpox epidemic in the Le Gol area. A memorial tradition strongly associates it with enslaved people. A recent academic source states, however, that the claim that it was specifically a “slave cemetery” could not be verified in the archives; this nuance should appear in any presentation of the site.
Sources (1)
- https://www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr/lieux-de-memoire/le-cimetiere-du-pere-lafosse/
