The Building

Plantation house “Rooi Catootje”, located in one of Curaçao’s busiest residential areas, does not instantly catch one’s eye. Set back from the road, surrounded by a wooded area, it is passed daily by many who do not realize that the house and its collection represent a unique historical monument. Not only for Curaçao, but also for the Caribbean.
Dating from about 1735 the mansion was built on the plantation known as “Rust en Vrede” (Rest & Peace). The name was changed into “Rooi Catootje” around 1830.
The house and plantation have been owned by the Maduro family since 1853, when S.E.L. Maduro (Manchi) bought it as a gift for his wife Rebecca Curiel. That is how Rooi Catootje became the family’s country residence.

Its rectangular, two-story central buiding is completely surrounded on the lower floor by closed galleries and, on three sides, by terraces.
Its location is similar to the placement of other plantation houses in Curaçao. First, it was built on the top of a hill in order to catch as much breeze as possible; second it is on view of at least two other “Landhuizen”. Such a view was essential for security reasons, as it permitted the owners to send or receive word of impending threats, amongst each other.
Of particular interest to those involved in shipping, as Mongui was, the semaphore on Fort Nassau could be read from the front porch of “Landhuis Rooi Catootje”. Thus, he was able to follow the movements of ships entering and leaving the harbor, from his porch.

Landhuis Rooi Catootje’s place in local history was guaranteed in 1954 when conferences between the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean Colonies were held there. 

The “Round Table Conferences” at Landhuis Rooi Catootje lead to the first version of the charter, which was signed by Queen Juliana on 15 December 1954.  The charter described the new relationship and new constitutional relationship between the Netherlands, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. This version lasted for a couple of decades until 25 November 1975, when Suriname became an independent republic.