Mantasoa: The legacy of Jean Laborde, tourist site, and retreat

Mantasoa is a charming getaway located about 70 km from Antananarivo. This weekend destination is ideal for relaxation and rest. Tranquility and serenity reign in this area, which reflects the era of Madagascar’s first true industrialization. Today, it serves as an open-air museum featuring an artificial lake, the wooden house and tomb of Jean Laborde (the designer), former buildings and kilns, and more.

Construction of an industrial center

When thinking of Mantasoa, the lake is the first thing that comes to mind. It all began with the construction of an industrial town where firearms, cannons, and cannonballs, lightning rods, bricks, pottery, glass and porcelain items, soap and candles, jewelry and sealing wax, paper, textiles, leather goods, artificial flowers, musical instruments, and liquors were produced. 

When Queen Ranavalona I sought to industrialize the country independently, without European assistance, she entrusted Jean Laborde with the task. In 1837, Laborde designed and planned a town by hand on marshy land surrounded by partially wooded hills dotted with gneiss. The site was cleared to dig canals, build stone structures, and construct multiple kilns for cementation, pottery, lime, and ironwork. The blast furnace (named “afo mahery”) was completed in 1841.

Creation of an artificial lake and town

The marshlands were transformed into artificial lakes to serve as water reservoirs, regulate the Ikopa River’s flow, and protect the Betsimitatatra plain and its rice fields from flooding. A canal was built to distribute hydraulic energy to power machines and kilns. In this town, named “Soatsimanampiovana” (meaning “unchanging beauty”) by Jean Laborde, activities included silk farming, powder magazines, and warehouses. A zoo featuring African antelopes was even established to entertain the queen.

Workers and supervisors lived in homes with red roofs, while officers and the Prime Minister often stayed in leisure houses. Naturally, the queen had her own residence equipped with a swimming pool where water was constantly refreshed. This house featured a throne from which she enjoyed watching workers at their tasks and listening to the hum of factories, waterwheels, and drill presses. Laborde also built his own house and tomb there, adhering to Malagasy customs.

Vacation village and water sports

The industrial activities at Mantasoa ceased when Jean Laborde was exiled to La Réunion in 1855. The site was left abandoned until the colonial era, when the waterwheels resumed spinning, machine tools were reused, and electric motors restarted. Former buildings were repurposed as a military post and a regional school. The site became a park showcasing the past glory of this industry, Laborde’s wooden house, and his tomb. The dam still irrigates 6,000 hectares of rice fields, holding up to 125 million cubic meters of water.

With your travel agency in Madagascar, you can enjoy the lake, which now hosts various water activities, including boat rides, water skiing, pedal boats, and fishing. A sturgeon farm was recently established here. The lake’s shores are dotted with charming hotels offering peaceful stays away from the stress of the capital. These establishments also organize hiking, biking, quad biking, and horseback riding in the surrounding areas. A eucalyptus forest perched at an altitude of 1,500 meters immerses visitors in a magical world. Crocodiles, turtles, snakes, chameleons, sifaka (lemurs), and butterflies make the walk even more enchanting!