The distinguished Grande Cour resides majestically on the lush island of La Réunion, a department of France. In 1776, artisans from India - stonecutters, carpenters, and joiners - built the house on the instructions of the wealthy planter Henri Panon-Desbassayns for his father-in-law Julien Gonneau-Montbrun. The mansion's unique blend of basalt, baked bricks, and argamasse-coated rooftop gave it an enduring strength, making it the only building along Chaussée Royale of that period to resist the passage of time.
The mansion's imposing facade is composed of two superimposed varangues with columns and arches. The dependencies, consisting of kitchens, stores, and stables, are built from basalt and face Rue Saint-Louis. The entrance, a work of carved stones, welcomes visitors along Chaussée Royale, its front bearing a fronton engraved in the 1950s.
Today, the site continues to serve a community purpose. After serving as a Catholic college in the 19th century and later as a site for the Chinese Kuo-Min-Tang association, the building was restored in the 1950s. It currently houses the Franco-Chinese Association, which offers Mandarin and martial arts classes, as well as dance and music performances during festivals.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
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