Madagascar is reconstructing its Queen's Palace
Antananarivo - The Queen's Palace, the main landmark in Antananarivo and a symbol of Malagasy identity, destroyed by fire 17 years ago, is still waiting for funding that would allow its reconstruction and transformation into a museum. This was reported by the AFP agency.
The royal residence Rova, which was opened to the public in the autumn and is commonly referred to as the Queen's Palace after the queens who ruled here in the 19th century, is once again being visited by residents of the metropolis, who stroll here with their families on Sundays.
"It's not the same, even though it has been restored," thinks twenty-five-year-old Nuccia.
The palace remains a kind of empty shell. The interior, decorated with rare woods and designed by French architect Jean Laborde in 1835, was destroyed by a fire on November 6, 1995, the circumstances of which are still unexplained.
"The palace was set on fire with kerosene and some politicians are behind this crime," claims Prince Ndriana Rabarioelina, a descendant of the royal family.
"I cried when I found out about it," recalls Elian, the oldest guide in the palace, who has worked here for 30 years.
"Eight guides were suspected of starting the fire; I spent two weeks in jail. Some remained behind bars for years, without trial, without evidence," recounts fellow guide Zo Rasoldier.
The investigation has not yet concluded.
Reconstruction work by the French group Colas, costing 6.5 million euros (162 million CZK), which began in 2006, allowed for the repair of the palace's foundations, which the French colonizers, who abolished the monarchy in 1896, turned into a museum.
The enormous, 40-meter high pillar made of rosewood, the central structure of the palace, is now made of concrete. The original wooden tiles on the roof were replaced with slate tiles.
"The palace itself does not make a great impression, but its history is fascinating," says French tourist Jeannine.
"As for the architecture, it blends Corinthian and Roman styles," clarifies Elian.
Next to the palace with stone walls, which dominates Antananarivo, nothing remains of the adjacent elegant buildings of Tranovola and Manampisoa, except for a stone plaque commemorating their location. Their reconstruction is not yet planned.
However, Mahitsielafanjaka has been reconstructed. It is the traditional residence of King Andrianapoinimerina's wife, a small wooden house without windows. The bust carved on the door indicates that the queen resided here.
"The king's room is tiny," marvels a Chinese tourist with a camera hanging around his neck.
"During visits, the king hid at the top of this staircase. His wife welcomed the guests, and the king would throw a pebble on their head if he decided to bestow his favor upon them," states Elian.
Although visitors have returned, the palace is by no means finished: the interior still needs reconstruction and a museum needs to be reestablished here.
Following President Marc Ravalomanana's fall in 2009 and during the subsequent political crisis, the state could only allocate limited funds for the renovation of the Rova palace. The reconstruction will still require millions of euros. Moreover, the state owes 1.3 million euros (32.5 million CZK) for the work completed so far.
"We do not know when work will resume; the priority now is the elections," which are scheduled for May next year, explains Culture Minister Elia Ravelomanantso. "We will call on private foundations and donors to participate in the restoration so that we can reconstruct period items and open a museum," she adds.
The royal residence Rova, which was opened to the public in the autumn and is commonly referred to as the Queen's Palace after the queens who ruled here in the 19th century, is once again being visited by residents of the metropolis, who stroll here with their families on Sundays.
"It's not the same, even though it has been restored," thinks twenty-five-year-old Nuccia.
The palace remains a kind of empty shell. The interior, decorated with rare woods and designed by French architect Jean Laborde in 1835, was destroyed by a fire on November 6, 1995, the circumstances of which are still unexplained.
"The palace was set on fire with kerosene and some politicians are behind this crime," claims Prince Ndriana Rabarioelina, a descendant of the royal family.
"I cried when I found out about it," recalls Elian, the oldest guide in the palace, who has worked here for 30 years.
"Eight guides were suspected of starting the fire; I spent two weeks in jail. Some remained behind bars for years, without trial, without evidence," recounts fellow guide Zo Rasoldier.
The investigation has not yet concluded.
Reconstruction work by the French group Colas, costing 6.5 million euros (162 million CZK), which began in 2006, allowed for the repair of the palace's foundations, which the French colonizers, who abolished the monarchy in 1896, turned into a museum.
The enormous, 40-meter high pillar made of rosewood, the central structure of the palace, is now made of concrete. The original wooden tiles on the roof were replaced with slate tiles.
"The palace itself does not make a great impression, but its history is fascinating," says French tourist Jeannine.
"As for the architecture, it blends Corinthian and Roman styles," clarifies Elian.
Next to the palace with stone walls, which dominates Antananarivo, nothing remains of the adjacent elegant buildings of Tranovola and Manampisoa, except for a stone plaque commemorating their location. Their reconstruction is not yet planned.
However, Mahitsielafanjaka has been reconstructed. It is the traditional residence of King Andrianapoinimerina's wife, a small wooden house without windows. The bust carved on the door indicates that the queen resided here.
"The king's room is tiny," marvels a Chinese tourist with a camera hanging around his neck.
"During visits, the king hid at the top of this staircase. His wife welcomed the guests, and the king would throw a pebble on their head if he decided to bestow his favor upon them," states Elian.
Although visitors have returned, the palace is by no means finished: the interior still needs reconstruction and a museum needs to be reestablished here.
Following President Marc Ravalomanana's fall in 2009 and during the subsequent political crisis, the state could only allocate limited funds for the renovation of the Rova palace. The reconstruction will still require millions of euros. Moreover, the state owes 1.3 million euros (32.5 million CZK) for the work completed so far.
"We do not know when work will resume; the priority now is the elections," which are scheduled for May next year, explains Culture Minister Elia Ravelomanantso. "We will call on private foundations and donors to participate in the restoration so that we can reconstruct period items and open a museum," she adds.
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