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20-592: The Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek , Western Cape , South Africa , is dedicated to the cultural influences that Huguenots have brought to the Cape Colony (and ultimately the whole of South Africa) after their immigration during the 17th and 18th centuries. These French and Belgian Protestants were fleeing violent religious persecution, especially in Roman Catholic France. The monument

40-535: A bible in one hand and a broken chain in the other. She is casting off her cloak of oppression. Her position on top of the globe shows her spiritual freedom and parallels some representations of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic iconography, which depict her with one foot resting on the globe. The fleur-de-lis on the woman's robe represents noble spirit and character; it also was long the chief symbol of

60-458: A boom in the 1990s, and property prices increased. The ideal summer weather, snowy peaks in winter and proximity to Cape Town have turned Franschhoek (le coin Français) into one of South Africa's most sought after residential addresses. The construction of the new English-medium private Bridge House School outside the village has also attracted many urban dwellers to the village. Franschhoek

80-664: A famous Belgian Pâtisserie for Belgian pralines . The town hosts a number of notable restaurants and wineries such as Haute Cabrière . The attributes of the village have turned Franschhoek into a popular tourist destination, with dozens of bed & breakfasts and small cottages available for accommodation. The shopping experience in Franschhoek is known to be very interesting with several independent boutiques, menswear shops and quality homeware stores. The art galleries are plentiful and excellent. Franschhoek's weekend Bastille Festival has been celebrated every July since 1994,

100-428: Is notable for having some of the top restaurants in the country within its borders. This fact, together with the strong wine culture, and pristine natural and architectural beauty has made Franschhoek into what many describe as the "food and wine capital" of South Africa. This village hosted one of the top 50 restaurants in the world The Tasting Room , according to the "S.Pellegrino world's 50 best restaurants"-ranking and

120-465: The French Huguenots is discussed in detail. Topics include: Why they came, who brought them, where they settled and a list of surnames of Huguenot origin. Displays in the annex convey the history of the town of Franschhoek , and have a broader scope. Topics in this building include: Fynbos, Khoisan history and the local fruit industry. The museum presents education programs e.g. history of

140-473: The 1740s. The architect of Saasveld House was Louis Michel Thibault . It was demolished and rebuilt brick by brick in Franschhoek. The main building features original items from this building, e.g. door frame, slates from Robben Island, the gates to the premises. All were brought to Franschhoek by the Huguenot Society. The museum displays cover two major topics. In the main building, the history of

160-642: The French monarchy, still in power at the time of the Huguenot exodus. The southern tip of the globe shows symbols relating to the Huguenots: the Bible, for their faith; a harp, for their art and culture; a sheaf of corn and a grape vine, representing agriculture and viticulture; and a silk and cloth weavers' spinning wheel, representing their industry. The water pond, reflecting the colonnade behind it, expresses

180-557: The Huguenots, Fynbos, Khoisan, Architecture and Genealogy / Families. Guided tours of the museum for visitors are also available. The annual Huguenot Festival presented by the Huguenot Society in conjunction with the museum takes place in the last weekend of October. During the festival the museum also host an exhibition of roses. The museum publishes booklets on various subjects. Recent titles include: The History of Franschhoek , The Edict of Nantes , Contact with Indigenous People and

200-533: The annex. The museum also has a shop, and is adjacent to the Huguenot Monument . Built in 1967, the main building was originally a building called Saasveld House situated in Kloof Street, Cape Town. Saasveld House was the home of Dutch East India Company employee William Ferdinand van Reede van Oudtshoorn, the son of Baron Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn , built on land granted to his father in

220-656: The area as mixed race (Khoisan and French/Dutch) people. In 1685, King Louis XIV banned Protestantism in France. Hundreds of French Huguenots were forced to flee their country. In 1688, almost 300 French Huguenots arrived at the Cape of Good Hope by ship and were given the Franschhoek Valley to settle. The French Huguenot refugees populated the valley, establishing farms and businesses, bringing with them their French culture and experience in agriculture. The name of

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240-620: The area soon changed to le Coin Français ("the French Corner"), and later to Franschhoek (Dutch for "French Corner"), with many of the settlers naming their new farms after the areas they had left behind in France. La Motte, Champagne, La Cotte, Cabrière, La Provence, Bourgogne, La Terra de Luc and La Dauphine were among some of the first established farms — most of which still retain their original Cape Dutch farm houses today. These farms have grown into renowned wineries . Many of

260-544: The monument explores the history of the French Huguenots who settled in the Cape, and especially in the Franschhoek Valley. On exhibition are the various tools they used to make wine, the clothes they wore, and interpretation of their culture and goals. The Cape Dutch architecture in much of the village is unspoiled, as restrictions have been placed on the extent of renovations and new construction in order to preserve

280-622: The railway line was discontinued. The branch line was reinstated in 2012 by a private operator and now sees service as the Franschhoek Wine Tram, a tourism project utilizing newly constructed double-decker trams modeled after the Blackpool Corporation Tramway's Double Deck Balcony Tramcar of circa 1923 to transport tourists between wine estates in the area. Once a quiet country retreat, the originally French settled village and region began experiencing

300-823: The site are wine cellars joined by a colonnade bearing the words Post Tenebras Lux ("After darkness, light" in Latin). A motto of Protestants during the Reformation , the phrase was first inscribed on the Reformation Wall in Geneva, Switzerland, which is dedicated to the Protestant Reformation. Franschhoek Franschhoek's original inhabitants are the Khoisan peoples . They are now mostly extinct, but their descendants continue to live in

320-419: The spirit of the original French settlers to the area. In 1904, a 28 km (17 mi) branch line was built between Paarl and Franschhoek to serve as an alternative to ox-drawn carts for farmers wanting to get their produce to market. Steam locomotives operated along the route until diesel locomotives took over in the 1970s and then, in the 1990s, as the need for rail transport decreased, service along

340-494: The surnames in the area are of French origin, e.g. Du Toit, Marais, Du Plessis, Malan, Malherbe, and Joubert. The French settlers tried fiercely to hold onto their language, but were forced over generations by the Dutch and British colonialists through schooling to integrate into local society. This heritage is shown today by the Huguenot Monument which stands at the end of the town. The nearby Huguenot Memorial Museum adjacent to

360-668: The undisturbed tranquility of mind and spiritual peace which the Huguenots refugees gained in South Africa after having experienced deadly religious persecution in France. The Huguenot Memorial Museum adjacent to the monument explores the history of the French Huguenots who settled in the Cape, and especially in the Franschhoek Valley. On exhibition are the various tools they used to make wine, clothes they wore, and interpretation of their culture and goals. Also on

380-416: The year of the first South African general election with universal adult suffrage marking the end of the apartheid era. Franschhoek is a twin town or sister city of: Huguenot Memorial Museum Huguenot Memorial Museum portrays the history of the French Huguenots who came to South Africa at the end of the seventeenth century. Displays are housed in the main building, and continue in

400-515: Was designed by J.C. Jongens, completed in 1945, and inaugurated by Dr. A.J. van der Merwe on 17 April 1948. The three high arches symbolize the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On top of the arches is the sun of righteousness and above that, the Huguenot cross of their Christian faith. The central female figure, created by Coert Steynberg , personifies religious freedom, holding

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