For
European Heritage Days 2019 one of several buildings I visited was
Villa Riviere in the town centre of Saint-Paul, on
Reunion's west coast. Unlike other buildings that are only open for EHD and are free, Villa Riviere is actually open at other times of the year and there is a fee to visit it, whether or not it's EHD. The entrance charge is well worth it though, as this is one of the most beautiful Creole villas I've ever seen.
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| front of Villa Rivière |
It was built in the late 18th century in a neoclassical style using stone (basalt) for the building itself and wood for the facade. The two-storey villa, outbuildings, and garden have been listed as a Historic Monument since 13th March 1990, but have always remained in private hands. The house opened to the public for the first time in 2008.
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| side view of the house front (photo from website) |
You are free to visit and take photos of the garden and original kitchen (which is located behind in an outbuilding), but to visit the interior you have to take a tour with a guide and cannot take photos inside the house.
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| swimming pool |
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| kapok pods, from a kapok tree in the villa garden |
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| kumquats in garden, Villa Riviere |
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| detail, front verandah |
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| top floor back verandah |
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| planter's chair, top floor back verandah |
The house owners are also interested in the arts, and every year since 2014 have organised the "Villa Riviere Prize" which rewards an artist whose work is directly related to the tangible or intangible heritage of Reunion Island. The artwork below is not by one of the prize winners, but simply reflects the owners' interest in contemporary art.
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| wall artwork, Villa Riviere |
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| ground floor back veranda, Villa Riviere |
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| wood flooring, interior (photo from website) |
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| wall covering, interior (photo from website) |
At the time of writing this blog post the Villa
website is not very well translated into English, but you can nevertheless glean the essential information from it about prices, as well as opening days and times.
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