HERITAGE MUSEUM

An imposing statue of two slaves breaking their chains welcomes the visitor to the entrance. Located in a colonial two-storey verandah building built in 1963, the Museum has two large rooms with wooden floors, in which relics of the triangular trade, photos and some works by artists are displayed. The first panels detail the grandeur and contribution of black civilizations from ancient Egypt to the Songhaï Empire. The triangular trade and its various actors are then detailed, using some maps, portraits and advertisements of periods on the sale of slaves. In the centre of the room are the chains that were used to chain the captives together at the neck, wrists and ankles. The wooden replica of a slave ship recalls the positioning of the slaves and their torturers during the crossing. The second room includes an interesting reminder of the importance of the cultural heritage of the Beninese and Nigerian coasts in contemporary Brazilian culture, particularly through the voodoo rites of the Bahia region. We regret some historical approximations in the wall panels, as well as the overall frugality of the museum which would deserve much better for such a historic site.