The Rova of Andrianampoinimerina in Antananarivo did not contain more structural elements than that of Andrianjaka, apart from the court of justice. In 1800, it was a roughly rectangular space limited to the north by the terrace overlooking Tranovola, and to the west by the current Queen’s Palace, along which a sharp slope with a retaining wall existed as late as 1817, but has since been filled in. The northern access must have been at the location known since the reign of Ranavalona I as the ‘Ileodoka Gate,’ which was oriented differently and built of wood at the time.
According to the ‘Tantara ny Andriana eto Madagascar’ by Father Callet, there was only one access point at the time, as the southwest gate dates back to that queen. ‘This Rova met requirements other than the mere convenience of the sovereign. Security, first and foremost: the fear of death, so deep in the Malagasy soul, had solid justifications at the time,’ writes Vincent Belrose Huygues. The Rova, situated at the summit of the city, ‘solidly barricaded and guarded,’ prevented any harm to the king’s life. This precaution was repeated around each Lapa (palace) or group of palaces.
‘Even more important was the symbolic requirement.’ The ‘Tantara’ indicate that at the time, the Rova was easy to climb, so a rigorous law was enacted. Thus, one had to enter through its unique gate, and passing over the palisade was forbidden on pain of death. This law ensured the sovereign’s security, but to pass through the gate, one had to perform a certain number of ritual gestures to prove a state of purity and ward off evil spells.
‘We find here an architectural model of archaic sacred royalty, the principle of which is found in Cretan-Mycenaean royal enclosures as well as in those of the great kingdoms of West Africa and, closer to home, Zimbabwe: the royal enclosure draws the boundary from which multiple prohibitions operate,’ explains Belrose Huygues, who continues: ‘The material and symbolic structure of the Rova reveals a division between a masculine and political pole, and a feminine and religious pole.’
He specifies that the first enclosure was a privileged area where the sovereign was in proximity to the receptacle of the monarchy’s vital force (‘hasina’) and the support of his legitimacy, namely the tombs of his ancestors. This is why the residence and presence of certain social categories deemed impure (women, Olomainty, Andevo) were prohibited there, as ‘it is a space of purity.’ The second enclosure was constituted by the residences of the women-symbols of the idols and sacred oxen, all charged with the ritual protection of the sovereign.
In reality, writes the author of the study, the opposition is not between politics and religion; the ‘hasina’ (sacred power) of the ancestors that is embodied in the reigning sovereign and accumulates in the tombs is of a religious nature, while the choice of the twelve royal wives was certainly of a political nature. ‘Thus, thanks to the Rova, the relationship to the sacred remains constantly apparent.’ This is also why Malagasy kings were reluctant to abandon or neglect the edifices of their predecessors who had become ancestors. If the ‘Lapa’ fell into ruin, they retained the name and gave it to a new construction, as was the case with Besakana, which was rebuilt several times.
To all this, the reign of Andrianampoinimerina seems to have added important practices known long before him. If, in general, all buildings were oriented north-south, in the Rova, they were oriented north-south in relation to magnetic north. But the influence of astrologers in Antananarivo was not limited to the orientation of dwellings. It determined the relative position of the royal ‘Lapa’ within the enclosure.
Belrose Huygues describes that the four houses of Andrianampoinimerina were arranged around the tombs ‘as if around a hearth.’ The southeast sector was avoided; to the south, there was Soaniadanana, a dwelling of little importance, but necessary to mark the sector; to the north, Manjakandriana; to the northwest, Marivolanitra, where the king resided continuously; and to the northeast, Manatsara. ‘Now, the north side of the hearth is considered the place of honor.’ Finally, astrological requirements seem to have been stronger in the capital than in Ambohimanga. Andrianampoinimerina and then Radama surrounded themselves with Antemoro diviners and scribes who regulated their lives and movements.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-10 07:13:00 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/entre-pole-masculin-politique-et-pole_0170908060.html