Dassa-Zoumè

Dassa-Zoumè sits among a cluster of granite domes in central Benin, the town built between and around them, and a grotto on one of the hills has become the country's principal Marian shrine, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims each August for a gathering that fills the town completely. A royal palace and court also function there, and the hills themselves carry caves that were used as refuges.

Background

Other names for the town are Igbó Ìdàáshà and Dassa, and it is the capital of the Collines Department. It stands on the railway from Cotonou to Parakou and on the main north-south highway. The commune covers 1,711 square kilometres and had 112,118 inhabitants in 2013. Its founders came from the Egba people around the 12th century, and the Idaasha are the indigenous population. A kingdom of Dassa was founded around 1600, and a Yoruba constituent monarchy has its seat here. The Marian grotto is the Grotte Notre-Dame d'Arigbo, now enclosed by a basilica with several shrines. Many of the surrounding hills and forests hold Orisa shrines.

Source: Wikipedia, "Dassa-Zoumé"

What's there

• The granite domes - the hills the town is built among.
• The Marian grotto - the shrine on the hillside and its August pilgrimage.
• The royal court - the palace that still functions in the town.
• The refuge caves - the shelters in the rock used in earlier centuries.

When to go

The August pilgrimage is the main event and fills the town. November to February is the cool dry season generally. The rains fall from April.

Practical notes

During the pilgrimage accommodation and roads are completely saturated. Outside it the grotto is quiet and there is little else set up for visitors. Climbing the hills is hot work.

Nearby

Savalou is west, and Savè is north.

Key facts