The Antananarivo Palace Wooden Arches: Madagascar's Lost Royal Art

In this episode of The Story of Madagascar, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable wooden arches of the Rova of Antananarivo — the intricate, carved entranceways that once adorned the royal palace complex before it was destroyed by fire in 1995. They discuss the symbolism of the arches, which featured motifs of crocodiles, lemurs, and roosters reflecting Merina cosmology and the power of the Andriana nobility. Lucas explains how the arches were commissioned by Queen Ranavalona II and her husband Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony in the 1870s, blending Malagasy woodcarving traditions with European architectural influences brought by the London Missionary Society. The episode covers the techniques of the Zafimaniry craftsmen who carved them, the spiritual significance of the sampy amulets once housed near the arches, and the ongoing controversy over whether to rebuild the Rova exactly as it was or create a modern memorial. Listeners will learn about the Rova's role as the political and spiritual heart of the Imerina kingdom, the devastating 1995 fire, and what the surviving fragments tell us about Madagascar's lost royal architecture. #Madagascar #Rova #Antananarivo #Merina #RanavalonaII #Rainilaiarivony #Zafimaniry #sampy #Imerina #Andriana #LondonMissionarySociety #woodcarving #palace #1995fire #colonialarchitecture #History #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo