Musée de Villèle

The historical Museum of Villèle was established by the Department of La Réunion in 1974 on a vast colonial mansion, the former habitation Panon-Desbassayns. Mrs. Desbassayns (1755-1846) was the administrator of this large domain, characteristic of La Réunion’s plantation economy. On the ground floor of the master’s house, furniture and decorative art objects recreate the living environment of this rich bourgeoise family who lived on the property for over a hundred and eighty years. On the first level, permanent collections are distributed throughout seven rooms: prints, engravings and lithography that represent old maps, portraits, landscapes or scenes of everyday life, all consisting in iconographic landmarks helping to better understand the development of the Bourbon Isle, marked by the history of slavery (slaves and indentured servants). The top floor punctually presents various temporary exhibitions of historical or artistic nature, designed to better understand or to explain the complexity and wealth of the history of La Réunion.