WEAPONS PLACE

It's the cradle and nerve center of historic Port Louis, the oldest part of the city and a convenient starting point for a sightseeing tour of the capital. Facing the port, although separated from the harbor by the freeway, it stands at the heart of the business district, and can be spotted from afar thanks to the huge, century-old palm trees that line it and give it part of its identity. At the entrance to the square from the port stands the imposing statue of Mahé de La Bourdonnais, sculpted in 1859 by French artist Dumont and facing out to sea. Opposite, the Hôtel du Gouvernement is the jewel in the crown of the Place d'Armes. Originally built of wood in 1725, it was consolidated and enlarged in 1738 by Mahé de La Bourdonnais and successive French governors, who added wings and storeys. The building is made of wood and ashlar, with a shingled roof and circular verandas (called varangues in Mauritius). Since 1857, the Legislative Council has met here, as has part of the National Assembly. Only distinguished visitors are allowed to enter, notably when Parliament returns. In the garden, shaded by flamboyant trees, statues have been erected of the personalities who shaped the island's history and played an active part in its development: queen Victoria (Queen of the United Kingdom in 1837 and Empress of India in 1876), Sir William Stevenson (Governor of Mauritius from 1857 to 1863), Sir John Pope Hennessy (the Colony's most popular British Governor, present from 1883 to 1889), Sir William Newton (a brilliant lawyer who helped democratize the Mauritian electoral system in the late ^19th century).

Place d'Armes is also home to monuments that are part of the city's architectural heritage. At the corner of Chaussée and Intendance streets, the Treasury building was erected between 1883 and 1889 from stone, wood, sheet metal and shingles; it currently serves as the Prime Minister's office. Directly opposite is the headquarters of a former bank, erected in 1859. To the left of the square when facing the sea, separated from it by the lovely Bowen Square, the historic headquarters of Ireland Blyth Limited (or IBL, a merger of two companies operating in Mauritius since the early ^19th century) occupies part of Rue Ferrière and also houses the Belgian and Dutch consulates. A little further on, at the foot of the modern State Bank of Mauritius tower, the Abreuvoir was once used to quench the thirst of mules and horses on their arrival in Port Louis.