Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Marine Cemetery of Saint Paul, located on the edge of the Indian Ocean in the eponymous bay, was created in 1788 by a decision of the Conseil Supérieur to replace an old cemetery that had become small. Located in the Cavern area, it is distinguished by its palm and frangepane aisles, as well as its croton beds, overlooking a black sandy beach. This site, which has been on the inventory of historic monuments since 2012, would house the tombs of well-known pirates, including Olivier Levasseur (known as La Buse), whose legendary treasure remains unobtainable. Recent excavations following Cyclone Gamede revealed graves potentially linked to a slave population, making this site the first such burial complex identified in the region.

The cemetery also hosts major cultural figures, such as the Parnassian poet Leconte de Lisle, whose remains were transferred from Paris in 1977 in accordance with his wishes expressed in his poems Le Manchy and Si l'Aurore. There are also graves of the poet Eugene Dayot, the painter Arthur Grimaud, and the shipwrecked of Ker-Anna (1894). The vaults of the great families of the 19th century border the main axes, while graves in the open ground and forgotten burials testify to the social and historical diversity of Saint Paul, from settlers to slaves.

The architecture and layout of the cemetery reflect the Creole and colonial influences, with ubiquitous tropical vegetation. Its strategic location, between sea and mountain, makes it both a funerary and tourist place, where legends (like that of the treasure of La Buse), memory of slavery, and homage to local personalities. The management of the site is the responsibility of the commune of Saint-Paul, and its classification in 2012 underscores its exceptional heritage value, both historically and aesthetically.

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