Former gendarmerie

Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Gendarmerie of Saint Peter is an iconic public building on the island of Réunion, French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean. Built between 1841 and 1842 according to plans attributed to the military engineer J. Roux, it is distinguished by its basalt portal carved, flanked by pillars surmounted by conical capitals. Originally, the site consisted of two side pavilions (one destroyed in the 1990s), stables, seed and feed stores, and a rectangular, floored central building, initially covered with a bitumen mastic and then a four-paned roof.

The building, organized around a central corridor serving the rooms, also housed latrines and kitchens at the back. Today, it hosts municipal services after being included in the inventory of historical monuments on 12 January 2006. Protected elements include facades, roofs, courtyard, gate, gate and remaining pavilion. The property belongs to the commune of Saint-Pierre, located at 2 rue du Four-à-Chaux (formerly 2 rue de la Gendarmerie).

The location of the monument, noted as "passable" (level 5/10) in the databases, reflects its heritage importance in the city centre. The photographs available, such as those of Thierry Caro under Creative Commons license, document his characteristic architecture. Its history illustrates the evolution of public buildings in Réunion, moving from military and police use to civil administration, while keeping traces of its colonial past.

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