La Plaine St. Andre project brings culture and business together
The estate of La Plaine St Andre at Au Cap is being restored as a historical and cultural site, andbeing turned into a tourist attraction as well. Work is supposed to be completed in midyear and hopefully the place will be able to welcome its first group of visitors by August 2010. Details of the project, being undertaken by the Trois Frères Distillery and the National Heritage, were unveiled to the media on Thursday this week.
According to Richard D’Offay, the managing director of Trois Frères Distillery, which is the key partner for the re-development, the project will include the restoration of ‘Plantation House’ which will operate as a quality restaurant and bar, celebrating Seychellois culture through food, drink and enjoyment of leisure time.
The ‘Petite Maison’ will serve as the administrative and reception centre to the site. There visitors will be able to read literature pertaining to the site and book guided tours around the place. There will also be a small boutique inside where visitors can purchase locally produced curios and mementos.
Another feature of the restoration project will be the re-establishment of the Herb and Medicinal Gardens for the interest of guests as well as for use in its cuisine. Ahistory of the flora and fauna found around the site and their traditional usage will be provided. Probably one of the biggest attractions will be the full operation of a traditional rum distillery. Visitors will be invited to view the process and taste the end result. Access to the site will be free for all.
Putting all those elements together in a coordinated and well managed fashion, the developers believe, will result in a place of great cultural and historical importance where people can learn and enjoy the living heritage and culture that it affords. In addition to supporting local artists, say the developers, the estate will also host cultural events throughout the year geared towards promoting La Plaine St Andre as a place of historical and cultural interest.
According to the investors, the R13 million project is a first that embraces the concept of ‘Heritage Industry’ in Seychelles, in which the cultural and historical values of a site are preserved but at the same time operating as a profitable business. That, says a heritage official, is the sort of development that will be encouraged for other sites in future.
La Plaine St Andre was built around 1792 by Jean- Francois-Marie Jorre de Saint Jorre, some 20 years after the first French settlers arrived, and he named it after the place of his birth in Reunion. It was originally used to exploit the natural resources of the island such as tortoises, spices and sugar cane. Although the estate as a whole has been reduced in size from its heyday when it was of some 800 acres, the property, its surrounding gardens and buildings remain a fine example of a typical French plantation business and residence of its time.
Source: Regar 2-5-10