Stella Matutina

Stella Matutina occupies a sugar factory that worked from 1930 until 1979, and the museum built into it covers the industry that shaped the island: the plantation economy, slavery and the indentured labour that followed it, the machinery of milling and refining, and the rum, vanilla, coffee and geranium that came with it. Much of the original plant is in place, and the museum was rebuilt and reopened in 2015 with a more critical treatment of the social history.

What you actually see

• The mill machinery - the original crushing and refining plant left in place.
• The social history - the plantation economy, slavery and indentured labour.
• The other crops - vanilla, geranium, coffee and rum alongside the sugar.
• The factory building - the 1930 works the museum is built into.

When to go

Year round; it is indoors and suits a wet day. It closes on Mondays. School groups fill it in term time.

Honest expectations

It closes on Mondays, which catches visitors out. Much of the labelling is in French only. The site is large and a full visit takes longer than most people allow.

Nearby

Saint-Leu is north, and Mascarin is southeast.