Chapter 17 · 17th – 19th century
Towns and villages take shape
From simple colonial districts, the island's first settlements gradually grew into real towns, each organised around its parish. Saint-Paul, the first capital, gave way to Saint-Denis as early as 1738.
Saint-Paul, the first capital
Founded as early as 1665, it was the island's first organised town, and its capital until 1738.
1738, Saint-Denis becomes the capital
Under the impetus of Mahé de La Bourdonnais, Saint-Denis replaced Saint-Paul; the small town then had only a hundred or so wooden houses.
A network of parishes
Each new colonial parish, placed under the patronage of a saint, would later become a commune in its own right.
Photo: Illustration created for the app · Illustration, not an authentic period photograph
Sources (2)
- Portail de l'esclavage à La Réunion
- Wikipédia — Histoire de La Réunion