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The construction of this palace began in 1839 and the surveyor was [[Jean Laborde]] who deployed all his genius in marrying traditional Malagasy and European styles by the sole use of wood. He created galleries, three huge superimposed halls each having an area of 360 square metres. In the enormous ground floor he set out the magnificent throne room with precious woods and on the 48 metres high roof ridge placed a bronze eagle with wings spread as the symbol of royal power. From this time on the palace of Manjakamiadana riveted the attention as if it was the Rova's only royal house and to such a degree that the entire group of buildings was designated under the name of ''Queen's Palace''. Although next to it was the Manampisoa house built by Queen Rasoherina eclipsed by the majesty of the grand palace.
=== The Royal Necropolis ===
In the Rova of Antananarivo, both living and dead rub shoulders as the royal necropolis was built within the wall. The first tomb to be constructed there was that of the first King, Andrianjaka, who died around 1630. This sovereign, having new ideas about royal sepultures, decided to have his tomb topped by a small wooden house to distinguish it from the common of mortals and to avoid any risk of it being trodden on by the ignorant.
A royal tomb is made of a deep cellar in which are placed flagstones and each one destined for a single king. Unlike the usual tombs there, are no shelved resting places. It is above this cavity, banked up after the burial of the coffin when the funeral is over, that the small wooden house or ''trano manara'' (cold house) is constructed. From this time on this would single out the tombs of families belonging to the nobility. Even today these tombs topped with a ''trano manara'' can be seen in the Antananarivo area.
Andranjaka's successors were buried each in an individual tomb, resulting in the series of seven aligned small houses called the Fitomiandalana. However, two of them were excluded from this necropolis: the first Razakatsitakatrandriana, because of his destitution and the second, Andriambalohery, for having contracted leprosy, an illness considered contagious at the time.
On the death of Radama I in July 1828, a modern tomb was constructed for him by the English architect Gros, assistant to the dead king. Another in a similar style was built next to it for Queen Rasoherina in 1868. Thus, since this period two types of funerary architecture can be seen in the Rove: the traditional represented by the Fitomiandalana and the new, incarnated by the two edifices in dressed stone. Initially, the ancient necropolis was situated near the site of the stone church but for unknown reasons, it was transferred elsewhere on the orders of the French Governor, General Galliéni.
At the same time, this French representative ordered the demolition of the royal necropolis, dating from the end of the 17th century situated in the [[Ambohimanga|Rova d'Ambohimanga]], where the Kings Andriantsimitoviaminandriana, Andriambelomasina and [[Andrianamponimerina|Andrianamponimerina]] reposed. In 1861, Queen Ranavalona I was buried there followed in 1883 by Queen Ranavalona II. All the royal remains were moved to the necropolis in Antananarivo and since this time the kings of Ambohimanga (Andriantsimitoviaminandriana, Andriambelomasina, Andrianamponimerina and Radama II, exhumed from his tomb in Ilafy) were placed in the mausoleum of Radama I. The queens Ranavalona I, Ranavalona II and the other female members of their families were placed in that of Rasoherina.
== Additional Information ==
* View all [[Manjakamiadana Rova photos]]
