A visit to Roça Sundy

Roça Sundy's history is multifaceted, spanning its role as a central colonial plantation, its status as a global scientific landmark, and its modern transformation into a sustainable tourism model. Understanding Sundy's complex history enriches visits to what has become one of Príncipe's most significant heritage sites.

Colonial & Agricultural Period

Roça Sundy ranks among Príncipe's most emblematic and important plantations. Established in 1822, it is referenced as the first cocoa plantation in the entire archipelago. The plantation was purchased around 1875 by Jerónimo José Carneiro and became the island's largest plantation—historically one of the world's largest cocoa producers.

Sundy was the only coffee-producing plantation on Príncipe, though cocoa remained its principal product alongside cassava and fruits including banana, coconut, mango, and papaya. Cocoa cultivated at Roça Sundy through slave labor helped transform São Tomé and Príncipe into one of the world's major cocoa producers.

At its peak, Roça Sundy employed approximately 600 workers. The complex comprised a colonial Casa Grande (now the hotel location), support buildings, a chapel (Capela de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França or Capela da Nossa Senhora de Lourdes), and senzalas (slave and contract worker quarters). The former stables notably resemble a castle wall. Ancient locomotives and colonial-era industrial machinery remain visible, with railway lines still evident in the ground.

The 1919 Scientific Event

Roça Sundy achieved landmark status in science history due to events in 1919 when it served as the location where Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity was experimentally confirmed.

The expedition to observe the total solar eclipse of 29 May 1919 was organized by the Royal Astronomical Society and Royal Society, led by astronomer Arthur Stanley Eddington. The other observation location was Sobral, Brazil. Eddington's observations at Sundy represented a relevant milestone for science history. The confirmation of Relativity Theory through observed light bending made headlines in newspapers worldwide.

A memorial plaque commemorates the site beside the main house, with the observation area highlighted as the embryo of an international centenary celebration initiative.

Modern Transformation by HBD Group

Roça Sundy's recent history is defined by acquisition and rehabilitation by HBD Príncipe Group (founded by Mark Shuttleworth). The plantation was granted to HBD Príncipe by the Regional Government on 9 February 2011, with HBD purchasing the property to transform it into a luxurious colonial hotel.

Restoration & Business Model

HBD restored the heritage, transforming Sundy from a ruined plantation into a boutique hotel. Significant rehabilitation included recovering the industrial locomotive and old cocoa dryer and reconstructing 2.5 kilometers of road. The hotel, managed by Príncipe Collection as one of four group resorts on the island, comprises two beautifully restored buildings: Casa Eclipse (housing restaurant and bar) and Casa Cacau.

Renovation utilized recycled materials and was executed by local builders trained for the work, aiming for lower carbon impact. Roça Sundy operates as a sustainable tourism project supporting local initiatives and fair-trade organic cocoa production. The plantation continues functioning as an active cocoa operation.

Community Resettlement

A crucial aspect of Sundy's modern history involves resettlement of the community living in former senzalas. The Roça Sundy community, comprising approximately 380-400 residents, lived in senzalas (casas comboio or quarters)—former slave and worker housing.

Terra Prometida Project

Due to sustainable development importance and community wellbeing, and because of rehabilitation for tourism, HBD and the Regional Government, with UN-Habitat support, developed a sustainable resettlement project called "Terra Prometida" (Promised Land).

Resettlement began in August 2023, officially inaugurated by Mark Shuttleworth and Maimunah Mohd Sharif (UN-Habitat Executive Director). The project aimed to offer 133 most vulnerable families modern, safe houses with better environments for education, health, and economic development.

Controversy

The resettlement generated mixed feelings and raised questions about privatization and segregation. Some view it as positive progress, while others see Roça Sundy becoming a location with exclusive tourist access. The area occupied by senzalas is planned for transformation into art galleries, shops, accommodation, or a market where locals can sell products to tourists. This displacement process links to neocolonial logic disconnecting space and place at Roça Sundy, though the UN-supervised project was participatory in design.

Heritage & Museums

Roça Sundy possesses rich cultural and industrial heritage being capitalized for tourism and education.

Espaço Ciência Sundy (E@S) — A small museum space created at Eddington's observation site to celebrate the 1919 centenary. The Science Space aims to create historical and scientific legacy, serving as reference for scientific dissemination and tourist attraction.

Museu do Ferro Velho — Contains locomotives and other ancient colonial-era industrial machinery.

Casa do Cacau/Chocolate Factory — Visitors can tour the Cocoa House or artisanal chocolate factory, learning about cocoa production processes and enjoying tastings.

Future Plans — Intentions exist to rehabilitate former senzalas into art galleries and shops. Originally in 2015, plans anticipated opening the island's first museum here dedicated to industrial archaeology.

For Visitors

What to See

Non-guests can arrange visits through hotel reception. The property offers historical tours covering Einstein's relativity experiments, colonial plantation architecture, cocoa production processes, and industrial heritage. The Cocoa Route tour includes plantation visits, chocolate factory demonstrations, and tastings.

Historical Context

Understanding Sundy's layered history—from slave-labor plantation to scientific landmark to sustainable tourism model—enriches appreciation of the complex heritage visitors encounter. The property embodies tensions between preservation and progress, tourism development and community displacement, celebrating history while confronting uncomfortable truths about colonial exploitation.