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Origin and history

The lazarets of the Grande-Chaloupe, located in an isolated ravine between La Possession and Saint-Denis in La Réunion, were created in 1860 under the Second Empire. They replaced the lazaret de la Ravine-à-Jacques, which was considered unsuitable because of its cashed site and insufficient capacity. These lazarets served as a quarantine place for employed workers, mainly Indians, arriving on the island. Lazaret No. 1, located in the municipality of La Possession, consisted of two dormitories, an infirmary, a farmhouse and a cemetery, all surrounded by walls. A two-basin fountain occupied the centre of the courtyard.

Lazaret No. 2, located further upstream on the commune of Saint-Denis, had three buildings (one administrative and two dormitories) in a enclosure partially destroyed by weather. Between 1860 and the 1900s, these lazarets played a key role in the health management of migratory flows linked to engagism, a contract labour system that succeeded slavery after its abolition in 1848. Their isolated location was aimed at limiting the spread of epidemics among the population of Réunion.

Lazarus No. 1 was included in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1998. Between 2004 and 2011, the association C.H.A.M. (Chantiers Histoire et Architecture Médiévales) restored a dormitory and the isolation pavilion, now transformed into an exhibition space on engagism and local plants. Archaeological excavations conducted in 2012 revealed on-site exhibits. Lazaret No. 2, in ruins, is not accessible to the public, while dormitory No. 2 of Lazaret No. 1 is occupied by the Departmental Directorate of Equipment.

These lazarets illustrate the health and migration history of Reunion in the 19th century, marked by the massive arrival of Indian, African and Malagasy workers. Their functional architecture and geographical isolation reflect the hygienist concerns of the colonial era. The current exhibitions highlight the cultural and vegetal interbreeding resulting from this period, as well as the living conditions of the employees during their quarantine.

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