What is "rova"

"Rova" can refer to:

• Rova, a village in the Municipality of Domžale in Slovenia;
• Rova, a type of fortified royal complex found throughout the highlands of Madagascar;
• The Rova Manjakamiadana, a royal palace complex in Antananarivo that served as the seat of government in precolonial Madagascar;
• The Rest of Virginia, a term referring to the portion of Virginia not including Northern Virginia:
• The Rova Saxophone Quartet;
• The Rova (, HaRova HaYehudi) is the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem;

A rova is a fortified royal complex built in the central highlands of Madagascar by Merina of the Andriana (noble) class. The first rova was established at Alasora by king Andriamanelo around 1540 to protect his residence throughout a war with the neighboring Vazimba. Rovas are organized according to traditional symbolic notions of space and enclose the royal residences, the tomb of the founder, and a town square marked with a stone. They are protected with walls, trenches and stone gateways and are planted with fig trees symbolic of royalty.