La Villa Charmille à Saint Philippe, un patrimoine architectural !!!

Built by the Babet family at the beginning of the 20th century, the "Charmille" house is today a symbol of traditional architecture in Saint-Philippe. It is listed in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture. Constructed of wood and sheet metal, with a hipped roof, it originally had four rooms. At the front, diamond-shaped decorations are inspired by the neoclassical style, a European movement that arrived in Réunion at the end of the 18th century and developed in the 19th century, favoring symmetry and geometric forms. It also features lambrequins, those wooden or sheet metal cutouts under the roof, very characteristic of Creole houses. In Réunion, lambrequins appeared from the 1860s onwards, blending 19th-century European decorative art with geometric and plant motifs inspired by India, local flora, and crafts. The large veranda, opening onto the road, reflects the Indian influence inherited from Pondicherry and the East India Company. It is a true living space that connects the road, the Creole garden, and the private area. The gate, or "baro" in Creole, marks the boundary between the road and the private space. Today, houses like this are rare. Between modernization, new materials, and the abandonment of wooden houses, this heritage is fragile. Preserving it means keeping a living trace of the history, identity, and Creole way of life in Saint-Philippe.