Religious heritage · Saint-Paul
Cimetière marin de Saint-Paul
The West
Why go
A major place of funerary memory in Saint-Paul, associated in particular with Leconte de Lisle and with the stories surrounding La Buse. In 2013, the Zetwal la Souvenans memorial by Jack Beng-Thi was installed nearby, honouring the memory of enslaved people and ancestors.
History
The present cemetery was established in 1788. Archaeological digs outside its walls have uncovered early 19th-century graves that may belong to enslaved people and/or indentured labourers (engagés), with no definitive conclusion. In 2007, Cyclone Gamède damaged the cemetery wall and exposed human remains on the beach. The Zetwal la Souvenans memorial was installed nearby in 2013.
Sources (3)
- https://archeologie.culture.gouv.fr/ocean-indien/fr/cimetiere-marin
- https://www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr — Mémorial aux ancêtres fondateurs
- Prosper Ève, Les cimetières de La Réunion, Université de La Réunion, 1994
