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portion of the site, a cardinal point traditionally associated with femininity and spiritual power. In addition, vertical space was given consideration, with higher ground and higher buildings equating greater power or value. Larger rova compounds could consist of two or more adjoined rovas that were sometimes built level with one another, but more commonly placed the newer rova higher than the earlier one to imply the greater power of the current sovereign relative to his predecessors.
211:(commoners) lived beyond the city walls on the hill's slopes. The lapa occupied by nobles were constructed of wood and featured a single rectangular room enclosing a hearth and raised platform bed, sheltered by a tall and steep peaked roof typically covered in thatch. The houses of commoners followed a similar form and layout but were constructed of woven grasses, reeds, or other locally available vegetable material.
163:(tomb) of one or more of the site's founders and family members. The sovereign's lodgings typically stood in the northern part of the rova, while the spouse or spouses lived in the southern part. It was not until the dawn of the 19th century that a perimeter wall of sharpened wooden stakes would constitute another defining feature of rova construction.
207:
forests at the tops of hills selected for rova construction were considered sacred and were to be preserved intact beyond the perimeters of the town's fortifications. The valleys below the rova were transformed into rice paddies to feed the inhabitants on the hill. The rova itself housed the noble and his kin, while
206:
cattle were preferred sites for the construction of rovas. Natural defensive features such as cliffs or excellent vantage points offered improved protection for the site. Height was symbolic of power, and this concept often manifested in the construction of the rova on the highest suitable hill. The
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trees, which were symbolic of royalty. The northern portion of the site was often where royal judgments were handed down, in line with the
Malagasy association between the northern cardinal point, masculinity, and political power. The houses of the royal wives were formerly located in the southern
166:
Two competing cosmological views coexisted in precolonial
Madagascar: an older system that assigned particular values to the cardinal points and the northeast in particular, and a more recent system based on the Zodiac. Rova construction reflects one or both of these systems of symbolic space. The
42:. Rovas are organized according to traditional symbolic notions of space and enclose the royal residences, the tomb of the founder, and a town square marked with a stone. They are protected with walls, trenches and stone gateways and are planted with fig trees symbolic of royalty.
106:
The first rova was built by
Andriamanelo around 1540 at Alasora, 15 km outside of Antananarivo. One of the oldest villages in Imerina, Alasora is believed to have been founded by Prince Ramasimparihy in 1490. Ruling from the neighboring hill of Imerimanjaka, Vazimba Queen
111:(1500–1520) and her brother Andrianamponga gave the site its current name. Under Rangita's daughter, Queen Rafohy (1520–1540), the capital of the region was moved from Imerimanjaka to Alasora. Her son Andriamanelo added the
82:. The conflict that defined his reign also produced many lasting innovations, including the development of fortified villages in the highlands and the establishment of a ruling class of nobles (
141:(noble), who lived and would later be buried within the protected compound. A rova's foundation was always elevated relative to the surrounding village. The compound also always featured a
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sacred eastern portions often contained structures associated with the veneration of the ancestors, including the royal tombs, basins of holy water used in royal rituals, and
78:, ultimately led a series of military campaigns against the Vazimba that would eventually drive them from the Highlands, which he and his successors ruled as the
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from the southeastern coast had gradually migrated into the central highlands where they established hilltop villages interspersed among existing
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built between 1525 and 1897 and protected the rova from marauders. Fig trees were planted at the main gate and often within the compound.
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119:(fig trees), symbolic of royalty. This rova town model was replicated throughout Imerina. Villages inhabited by the
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According to the custom established by
Andriamanelo, a rova could only be established by an
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Vingt ans à Madagascar: colonisation, traditions historiques, moeurs et croyances
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183:) made from the mud and dry rice stalks gathered from nearby paddies, dry moats (
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built the first rova around 1540 at
Alasora, a model later copied throughout
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around 1540 to protect his residence throughout a war with the neighboring
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299:
Campbell, Gwyn (1993). "The
Structure of Trade in Madagascar, 1750–1810".
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155:(royal speeches or decrees). Contained within the rova was at least one
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Kus, Susan (2007). "Matters
Material and Ideal". In Hodder, Ian (ed.).
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195:). These defenses were typical of most walled royal compounds of
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34:(noble) class. The first rova was established at Alasora by king
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149:(tall sacred stone) where the sovereign would stand to deliver
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is a fortified royal complex built in the central highlands of
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231:, destroyed by arson in 1995 and under reconstruction in 2013
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273:, particularly including Alasora (rova of first Merina king
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of the site, and planted either side of the entry gate with
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523:(in French). Antananarivo, Madagascar: Karthala Éditions.
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237:, the best preserved historic rova in Madagascar and a
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559:de la Vaissière, Camille; Abinal, Antoine (1885).
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520:Maisons royales, demeures des grands à Madagascar
253:that served as a summer palace for Merina royalty
191:), and gateways protected by stone disk portals (
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202:High hills with flat areas for the grazing of
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444:
432:
473:Fage, J.D.; Oliver, Roland Anthony (1975).
159:(royal palace or residence) as well as the
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223:, seat of government for the precolonial
502:. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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544:(in French). Paris: Karthala Editions.
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58:settlements ruled by local kings. King
597:Buildings and structures in Madagascar
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481:. London: Cambridge University Press.
410:. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2012.
277:) and Ambohitrabiby (rova of his son,
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269:The former sites of the rovas at the
414:from the original on 16 October 2012
499:Symbolic and Structural Archaeology
495:
391:
13:
14:
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565:(in French). Paris: V. Lecoffre.
538:Raison-Jourde, Françoise (1983).
457:de la Vaissière & Abinal 1885
349:de la Vaissière & Abinal 1885
263:and the site of the tomb of King
145:(central courtyard) marked by a
477:The Cambridge history of Africa
187:) and deep defensive trenches (
70:and a man of the newly arrived
50:By the 15th century the Merina
292:
271:Twelve sacred hills of Imerina
179:Rovas were defended by walls (
62:(1540–1575), the son of
1:
607:Archaeology of Eastern Africa
466:
541:Les Souverains de Madagascar
214:
123:class typically contained a
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408:"Royal Hill of Ambohimanga"
259:, a rova inhabited by King
249:, a rova built under Queen
130:
88:) in Andriamanelo's line.
10:
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602:Archaeology of Madagascar
517:Nativel, Didier (2005).
285:
337:Fage & Oliver 1975
103:
74:people originating in
229:Kingdom of Madagascar
94:
221:Rova of Antananarivo
127:or palace compound.
76:southeast Madagascar
242:World Heritage Site
445:Raison-Jourde 1983
433:Raison-Jourde 1983
225:Kingdom of Imerina
113:defensive features
104:
80:Kingdom of Imerina
592:Malagasy monarchy
551:978-2-86537-059-7
530:978-2-84586-539-6
509:978-0-521-03550-7
488:978-0-521-20413-2
394:, pp. 47–62.
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416:. Retrieved
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368:Nativel 2005
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275:Andriamanelo
251:Ranavalona I
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52:ethnic group
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36:Andriamanelo
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261:Andrianjafy
247:Tsinjoarivo
235:Ambohimanga
586:Categories
467:References
147:vatomasina
22:Madagascar
265:Radama II
215:Key rovas
185:hadifetsy
412:Archived
392:Kus 2007
193:vavahady
189:hadivory
173:Draceana
138:andriana
131:Features
121:Andriana
85:andriana
31:Andriana
279:Ralambo
197:Imerina
181:tamboho
109:Rangita
100:Imerina
64:Vazimba
56:Vazimba
46:History
40:Vazimba
28:of the
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321:219188
319:
239:UNESCO
161:fasana
152:kabary
143:kianja
117:aviavy
68:Rafohy
66:queen
26:Merina
317:JSTOR
286:Notes
257:Ilafy
169:Ficus
567:ISBN
546:ISBN
525:ISBN
504:ISBN
483:ISBN
420:2012
227:and
209:Hova
204:zebu
171:and
157:lapa
125:rova
72:Hova
18:rova
309:doi
24:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
