Description of the attraction
The Historical Museum of Mauritius is located in the city of Maheburg and is housed in the old mansion of the 18th century Gheude Castle, which belonged to the Robillards. During the French-English War for domination of the island (1810), the building housed a hospital for wounded soldiers on both sides.
The museum began its existence in 1950 with an exhibition on two floors of a mansion. The beginning of the exhibition - artifacts from the times of the discovery and settlement of the island by the Portuguese, this hall appeared in 1988 with the assistance of Willem-Alexander of Orange-Nassau, the current king of the Netherlands. The second floor is dedicated to the British period, the settlement of Mauritius by slaves and the abolition. The French stage in the development of the Ile de France dates back to the reign of Governor Bertrand Labourdonnais; the personal belongings of the military leader, pieces of furniture are presented. Separately, there are documents and items dedicated to the construction of the island's railway communication.
The complete collection of the Historical Museum consists of two parts, one of which is the Museum of Marine Relics. This section contains maps, tools, logbooks, engravings dedicated to the theme of the sea and the conquest of the island, personal weapons of captains famous in the marque period. There are exhibits telling about the battles for Cape Mahler, there are two cannons.
The exposition of household items includes a collection of coins made of gold and silver, an ancient porcelain service from China, the remoteness of the island from civilization contributed to their good preservation. You can see the images and the skeleton of the dodo bird, completely exterminated in the 17th century, discovered during excavations on the island.
