This beautiful 19th-century manor was an official French residence for many years. It became the Madagascan presidential palace in 1975 and remained so until president Didier Ratsiraka decided to build a more modern complex about 15km south of the capital in 1991. The mansion remains an official residence but is generally quiet.
In a bid to balance the colonial architectural influence, Andry Rajoelina, president of the high transitional authority between 2009 and 2013, ordered that a replica of the King’s palace at Ambohimanga be built right next to it.
