PIERRE POIVRE STATUE

Pierre Poivre was a French naturalist and administrator of La Reunion and Mauritius. He is said to have a strong-willed character.

Around 1771 he began expeditions to smuggle spice plants from the Dutch East Indies - including cinnamon seedlings.
Cinnamon is an important component in Poivre's connection to the Seychelles.
He brought the seedlings he had smuggled back to Mauritius to plant them in the Jardin des Pampelmousses.

When he heard Mahé had the perfect climate and fertile soil, he wanted to create a spice garden in the Seychelles.
He sent his confidant Antoine Gillot to Mahé to plant a spice garden (now Jardin du Roi).
Cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon grew in the garden until it was destroyed in May 1780. Fortunately, nature has found great ways to grow the seeds over the whole garden Island to distribute.
Cinnamon trees now grow almost everywhere on the islands.
The Seychelles exported a total of 740,123 kilos of cinnamon in 1908 and had 67 cinnamon oil distilleries on the island.

On 02.10.1972 his bust was erected to commemorate the 200 years since the introduction of cinnamon ironically by a man who never set foot in the Seychelles.