Bernica

Bernica is a Lieu-dit west of the island of the Réunion constituting today a district with whole share of the common of Saint-Paul, of which it occupies the heights in Amont of Fleurimont and Saint-Gilles-the-Tops. Crossed by a River which dug deep a Ravine, the Ravine Bernica, it formerly seemed a site Nature L Sauvage favourable with all the Intrigue S. In 1680, in fact, the Gouverneur of the colony in person was found there Mort after having disappeared in mysterious circumstances. At the beginning of the 19th century, in addition, it acted of den for Mrs Desbassayns and as theater for the fights of influence that this slave maintained in order to sit the To be able of its family with the head of the company bourbonnaise. A few years later, finally, it definitively involved in the literary Histoire French by letting its romantic Beauté inspire with Leconte de Lisle a Poème éponyme remained celebrates then by being used as Décor with the outcome of a Romance of George Sand, Indiana .

Geography

Situation

The Lieu-dit called Bernica today is located in the High west of the Réunion on left bank of the River which bears the same name, the Ravine Bernica. Grouped around a Town hall appendix of the common of Saint-Paul and one of only the inns of youth of the department of the Meeting, the dwellings all are almost between 420 and 500 meters of altitude in a landscape clearly dominated by the culture of the Canne to sugar.

One reaches it by a sloping secondary road which climbs since the locality baptized Fleurimont in the honor of the Gouverneur Germain of Fleurimont Moulinier. Since the historical Downtown area, this borough is itself accessible by another departmental way which finds its origin close to the place where the above-mentioned gully is thrown in the pond of Saint-Paul: it makes initially some laces along a rock face then circumvents Plateau Stone before reaching the junction which interests us. From there, it continues as for it until Saint-Gilles-the-Tops, another locality which Bernica dominates and of which it can be reached by a street less circulating.

Toponymy

In the beginning, the term Bernica did not indicate only the small borough which one calls thus today. In addition to the fact that it comes from the name of a Métis Portuguese, Berniqua, it was formerly used to describe a zone much vaster than that which one has just described - the latter extended more in Aval and included Right Bank of the gully in addition. Thus one still finds it in some Toponyme S of use today on other sites of this small portion of the vast territory saint-paulois.

On left bank, overhanging the downtown area and the Bay of Saint-Paul, the Slopes of Bernica are a whole of dwellings of Plateau Stone located at approximately 170 meters of altitude only. Other side, in against bottom of the Guillaume, Small Bernica is another batch of houses as for him installed with approximately 375 meters of altitude. The road which it cross-piece is the other axis making it possible to reach the homonymous village that one above described since the downtown area of Saint-Paul: very tortuous, it crosses initially Grande Fountain then separates in two branches which cross the river thanks to as many foundation rafts before joining which Fleurimont, which it Bernica itself.

History

At the first hours of colonization

Since the beginning of the XIXe century

Representation in the literature

At Leconte de Lisle

Leconte de Lisle wrote the Poème Bernica , in remembering its childhood passed on the Bourbon island. Published the first time in the contemporary Review the May 15th 1858, it appears in the collection cruel Poèmes .

In George Sand

In addition

References

Random links: