Chapter 3 · 15th – 16th century
The first discoveries
For centuries, the island remained completely uninhabited. It first appeared on the charts of Arab navigators, long before any European set foot on it.
An island long overlooked
Mentioned as early as 1153 by Arab navigators under the name Dina Morgabin, “the island of the West”.
1507, the European discovery
The Portuguese navigator Tristão da Cunha sighted the island and named it Santa Apolonia.
1642, the first claim of possession
France officially took possession of the island, then called Mascarin.
The story
Before permanent settlement, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and French navigators gradually came to know the island. Its position in the Indian Ocean made it a useful stopover on the routes to India and the Spice Islands. The first European descriptions, from the 16th century, depict an island well supplied with fresh water and natural resources. These temporary stays, with no lasting human settlement, preceded the permanent settlement that began in the 17th century at Saint-Paul.
Sources (2)
- Y. Combeau, P. Ève, S. Fuma et al., Histoire de la Réunion, Nathan 2002
- Île de La Réunion Tourisme, 500 ans d'histoire