Fianarantsoa, Madagascar is located 8 hours south of the capital city, Antananarivo. Its Old City quarter, which consists of some 500 houses, churches, and market buildings dating to the 19th century, is a unique heritage site in Madagascar.

View of the Old City in 1903

The community was founded in 1830 on Ivonea hill (1269m), which is one of the highest points in Fianarantsoa. Principal development of the site took place from 1870 to 1900 after Queen Ranavalona II lifted the prohibition against commoners building with permanent materials. International technicians and missionaries (notably the Frenchman, Jean Laborde, and James Cameron, of the London Missionary Society) introduced modern construction techniques using bricks, tiles, and sculpted balconies.

The six churches of the Old City remind us that after the Queen converted to Christianity in 1869, missionaries rushed in to build churches and convert the population: the first arrivals were from the London Missionary Society in 1870, followed by the French Catholics in 1871 and the Norwegian Lutherans in 1878.

Today, the century old houses of this intimate community perch on the granite hillside, barely leaving room for pedestrian walk and stairways. The site’s charm belies the poverty of most of its residents and the severe threat to the historic homes, however. Most of the current inhabitants are descendants of the original owners; as such they maintain a deep cultural attachment to their ancestral homes, but rarely do these families (nearly all of whom live on less than €1 per capita per day) have the resources necessary to finance decades of deferred maintenance.

Several houses crumble each year during the rainy season as pounding rains attack the vulnerable mud brick structures. Soon it will be too late to save the buildings at any reasonable cost and the site will be lost to Madagascar and the world. In recognition of the site’s importance … and its vulnerability…, the WORLD MONUMENTS WATCH listed Fianarantsoa’s OLD CITY as One of the 100 most threatened historic sites in the world on its list for 2008-9.

Physical layout of the Site

The site was occupied for the first time in 1830 when the Merina royalty sought to extend its influence toward the south and established a military outpost. The surrounding hillsides were already occupied by various Betsileo kingdoms. Ivonea hill was chosen because it offered a grand view to the south, over areas still dominated by clans opposed to Merina expansion.

The new town was overseen by a Governor who represented royal authority. As far as we know, the royal family never actually occupied the palace in the Old City: when Queen Ranavalona II visited the south in 1873, she was accompanied by thousands of people who spontaneously joined the procession en route. They established a tent camp (where they stayed for two months) at Tsianolondroa, where the Fianarantsoa City hall and banks are now located.

The development of the hilltop community reflected the strict and hierarchical social organization of the time, with clearly demarcated zones separated by stone ramparts (photo) that can still be seen today.

Layout of the Old City in 1903

At the top of the hill, the Rova (palace) consisted of three large wooden houses with thatched roofs and many smaller service buildings and lodgings. A 2m high wall circled the summit with the entrance where the Jirama reservoir stands today. You can still see the amontana (fig) trees, symbol of royal power, on the circular track that follows the path of the original wall around the summit. The royal buildings were destroyed during the colonial period and there are few architectural traces that remain from this period. One exception is the large flat granite rock that was used for beheadings (and can still be seen in the elementary school courtyard). A series of underground tunnels and chambers allowed the inhabitants to hide or flee if the site came under attack. One of these tunnels extended from the top of the hill for more than 500 meters, with an exit at the bottom of the hill (north-west side).

Moving down the mountain, the area just below the Rova (Tanàna Ambony) was occupied by representatives of the royal family, military officers, and blacksmiths. The latter enjoyed the privilege of proximity because they were responsible for shackling prisoners.

The southeast side of the mountain was occupied by people conscripted from the surrounding Betsileo kingdoms to work for the royal family (construction, rice production, etc).

Descending the hill, the area called Tanàna Anivo was reserved for soldiers and seigneurs Betsileo who had established relations with the royal family.

The lower part of the mountain around the market (Tanàna Ambany) was open to all without restriction and was occupied by shopkeepers, small businesses, church leaders, crafts people.

In the valley to the west, a dam on the Matsiatra River was built to make Lac Anosy (creating a certain resemblance to the lake of the same name in Antananarivo). This water irrigated the royal rice fields that encircled the base of the hill.