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Renaissance Palace

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Renaissance Palace is the official residence of the President of the Central African Republic, located in the 1st arrondissement of Bangui (fr:1er arrondissement de Bangui), at the foot of Gbazabangui Hill and facing the PK zéro.

History

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The original building with verandas was built in French Colonial style from 1917 to 1920 by Victor Henri Sisson.[1]

The palace was the residence of the Governor of Ubangi-Shari[2] until 1960, when the country gained independence from France and the palace became the seat of the President of the Republic.

The palace was reconstructed during the rule of Jean-Bédel Bokassa (1966–1979). During the final three years of Bokassa’s rule, the leader served as the Emperor of Central Africa and the Renaissance Palace served as the imperial palace.

References

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  1. ^ (in French) Thierry Bangui, Cahiers d'Outre-mer n°261, L’architecture coloniale du centre-ville de Bangui, janvier 2013
  2. ^ (in French) Stephen Smith, Géraldine Faes, Bokassa Ier un empereur français, Calmann-Lévy, 29 mars 2000 ISBN 9782702148327