Le Morne Cultural Landscape, Mauritius

A vast gorge, known as the V-Gap, or the key to the mountain, made access to the plateau difficult. Oral history and early written accounts allude to a narrow and perilous pass that had to be negotiated by the maroons in order to escape from pursuers and take refuge at the top.

Excavations carried out in cave shelters on the mountain revealed ashy deposits, confirming the use of fire, and the 300-year old bones of a young sheep, supporting the position that there were maroons on the top of the mountain and they were able to ensure their survival.

Stella Maris, the first Catholic chapel of Le Morne, dates back to 1891. It was located in the village of Trou-Chenille until WW1 when it was re-located to L’Embrasure.  After being destroyed by a cyclone in 1975, it was later re-built in concrete in Le Morne Village in 1987. 

Trou-Chenille forms part of the rich cultural heritage of the Le Morne Cultural Landscape and is in the memory of a still-living population. Its open-air museum is comprised of five traditional huts, each depicting a different aspect of the daily life of those who lived there.

Archaeological surveys have uncovered evidence of another 19^th-20^th century settlement at the foot of Le Morne Brabant, named Macaque. The site is most likely associated with the Labonté and Béguinot families, who came to Mauritius from Madagascar in the early 1800s.

An abandoned cemetery can be found in a remote area in the shadow of the mountain and dates back many years, even appearing in an archival map from 1880. Archaeological works in the cemetery have revealed that those buried there might have been of Malagasy and Mozambican origin.

This well is located in L’Embrasure village. The careful construction of the well suggests it dates back to pre-World War II. According to oral history, the water from the well was rarely used by the villagers but was mostly utilized by the shopkeeper whose shop was next to it.

The place of resistance is a sacred site at the foot of the mountain, linked to the resistance of the slaves. It is revered by the Rastafarian community, who go there to pay homage to their ancestors, and seek inspiration and spiritual reconnection through meditation and prayer.

The special aroma of grilled coffee is the pride of this region.  Coffee beans brought from the neighbouring village of Chamarel are heated over firewood in a cast iron pot and are grilled until they turn black. The coffee is then ground using a pestle and mortar.  

Fishing has been a traditional subsistence activity since the 18^th Century and is an integral part of the local culture. Traditional methods include Seine fishing and basket trap (Kazie) fishing:

The channel known as the Passe de L’Ambulante is historically significant as the entry point through which many slave boats arrived to the island and as the exit point that maritime maroons passed through in an attempt to find their freedom and return to their homelands.  

The objectives of Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund are to collect, preserve and disseminate the elements of the intangible cultural heritage pertaining to Le Morne Cultural Landscape and to actively involve the local community, especially the younger members, in its safeguarding.