Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

La Redoute Bourbon is a former military fortification located in the La Redoute district of Saint-Denis, on the island of La Réunion. Built in 1756 on a rocky spur, it is attributed to the engineer Antoine-Marie Desforges-Boucher, under the governorate of Jean-Baptiste Bouvet de Lozier. Squarely evoking a truncated pyramid, it protected the strategic axis between Saint-Denis and Saint-Paul, with twelve murderers on the ground floor. Its architecture reflects its defensive role in an island context marked by colonial rivalries.

In 1810, the dread played a key role in the British attack on the island, illustrating its strategic importance. From 1768 it was converted into a military prison and then into a powder shop in 1869, after the construction of a wall of rounded enclosure in the mid-19th century. A fire in 2003 seriously damaged the building, leading to renovation work between 2020 and 2023 (roof, facades, wall enclosure). Classified as a historical monument in 2007 and fully protected in 2018, it is expected to host a military museum.

The Bourbon Redout is the only classified military building in Reunion, bearing witness to the colonial and defensive history of the island. Its architecture, combining robustness and simplicity, makes it a rare example of 18th century French island fortification. Recent restorations aim to preserve this heritage while making it accessible to the public, in a territory where military remains of that time are rare.

External links