place des
auctions
Benin
THE PROJECT :
Landscaping of the Place des Enchères in Ouidah, Benin
THE WORK :
Landscaping of the Place des Enchères in Ouidah, Benin
DETAILS:
CUSTOMER: ANPT: Agence Nationale de Promotion des
Project
context
The Auction Square, a preserved historic site
Located in the historic town of Ouidah, in southern Benin, the Place des Enchères is a deeply memorable site, bearing witness to a dark period in human history: the transatlantic slave trade.
Here, thousands of African men, women and children were auctioned off by slave traders, before being forcibly shipped to the Americas. The square was one of the last stops before the departure into the unknown. Today, it symbolizes the brutality of the triangular trade and the suffering endured by the enslaved peoples.
As part of the Slave Route, which leads all the way to the famous Porte du Non-Retour on Ouidah beach, the Place des Enchères is an essential stop-off point for understanding the region’s colonial and slave-owning past. It is a place of meditation, reflection and transmission of memory.
Today, the site is preserved and enhanced as part of Benin’s efforts to promote memorial and cultural tourism. It regularly welcomes visitors from all over the world, as well as commemorative ceremonies and educational projects aimed at raising awareness among present and future generations.
Work
carried out
a 4-phase intervention to enhance the value of auctions
- Audit phase
- Rescue attempt phase: transferring and transplanting the two halves of the tree
- Replacement phase by transplanting a wild ficus: a mature, healthy tree of the same species Ficus nymphaeifolia
- Maintain the replacement tree according to best horticultural practices to ensure rapid, healthy growth.
of experience
worldwide
permanent
Other achievements
of exceptional landscaping
A nurseryman by birth, Gregori International specializes in large-scale turnkey landscaping projects. We’re with you every step of the way, from preliminary study to maintenance, taking care to respect the heritage of the soil and the environment.
