The best museums Saint Barthélemy

A mine of resources, like a mirror on the past that shows the attachment of men to their traditions. It relates the life of the occupants in their environment since the 17th century. The Domaine Félicité is two centuries of history that can be discovered during a visit that combines a visit to the traditional huts and a walk in a magnificent botanical garden. A titanic task that this passionate brother and sister, Alain and Arlette Magras, have taken to heart with the sole aim of sharing and preserving the memory of Saint Barth. Over 4,000^{square meters}, the walk will be full of family anecdotes. An emotional sequence full of confidences and nostalgic moments awaits you. The initiators' stories are precise and vibrant with memories. Family heirlooms, reference objects, photos, urban plans, paintings, which have given rise to years of research and genealogical and botanical expertise.

The history of the Domaine :

Arlette and Alain's grandfather, Joseph Alexis Magras, acquired the large 28 ha estate in 1918. These arid and rocky lands were devoted to cultivation (corn, fruit trees) and to breeding (more than 100 goats that the grandfather knew all!). At that time, life was hard and education was severe. The day was punctuated with tasks that the seven children of Joseph and his wife Anastasie did without reluctance! Here, "the screen was nature", television did not exist and the playground was the outdoors. No doubt this influenced Alain for the garden part. Going back in time, we learn that the first house on the estate was built by Mr. Johan Norderling (Swedish governor) in 1820. The name of the property would come from this time. The foundations dating back two centuries are still visible! The Domaine de Félicité will have seen four Swedish governors, two mayors and a family of merchants pass through.

The garden:

"The end of the world and the bottom of the garden contain the same amount of wonders" said the writer Christian Bobin. The visit is meant to be inspiring and relaxing. An unsuspected bucolic escape between the intersection of Corossol and La Tourmente. The charm is there from the first steps on the small path that winds among the 300 species of plants, shrubs, trees and flowers. The most popular are the pink pear tree, the quenettier, the gum tree, the bougainvillea and the papaya. The most spectacular, and one that inspires respect, is undoubtedly the cordia, red mapou, planted 200 years ago by Governor Johan Norderling. The smells penetrate us, the touch of the leaves reveals their texture and the ballet of the butterflies on the country orchids exalts us. With a natural gesture, Arlette and Alain remove the weeds and show us their affection for the moments of play in the huts between the rocks. From these same rocks cascades of water connect all the elements of nature.

The visit of the huts:

We go from hut to hut after having crisscrossed the garden. In addition to the interest of the construction of these traditional houses (one of which was moved and reassembled on the spot), the thematic rooms address all the subjects related to the past of the island and the family. A soul emerges from each space! The visit begins with the reception area and the "Boutique Bazar vide poche" named after the first store opened on the island by the great-grandmother, then the Case de Bas with the Norderling Room recounting the Swedish period from 1784 to 1878, the Deveau Room with the origins and genealogies of the families of the island, the House of^Miss Henriette with all the memories related to the school and the teacher, great-aunt of the family. The Mary's Kitchen plunges us into a period kitchen with the main element: the fireplace for cooking with coal. The Room is linked to the navy and allows us to discover the making of a dugout canoe or the first "Strada" canoe of the family, the history of sailors and schooners. The Crafts Room features a fine collection of old tools such as the plane used to make wooden gutters. The Zulma Room (the father's ancestor) is devoted to the period from 1860 to 1944 with a retrospective of trade in Saint-Barth. Finally, the Family Room presents the intimacy and life of the family: children's cradle, games, sewing and crochet work, library, daily objects.

Traditions to discover :

Straw braiding is a tradition that continues to be very modest on the island (a few women still practice on the side of Corossol). However, this know-how made the fame of the island and gave work to women during the last century. In the Hall of Crafts, you will discover the ten types of braiding (braid with holes, braid with buttons, braid with mesh, braid with teeth...). It is a very meticulous technique, because it is necessary to open the leaves of latanier, to make them dry in the sun in a homogeneous way to avoid the spots, and to dissociate the leaves for the braiding. The craft was different depending on whether one was on the leeward or windward side of the island.

Another tradition was for the ladies to wear the traditional headdress, the calèche. Also called quichenotte, it is a large white headdress. Two types are on display: the platinum caleche, made of braids sewn together, and the stick caleche made of thin wooden sticks inserted into the fabric.

Located on the first floor of the Wall House next to the Hôtel de la Collectivité, the museum is dedicated to the island's historic heritage. The building, which dates back to the ^18th century, was entirely restored by Compagnons in 1995. The ruins of a bread oven can be seen outside the building. The museum brings to life the great hours that presided over the island's development, through documents and photographs, and an exhibition of period objects and costumes. Temporary exhibitions are held on a regular basis.

Visit by appointment.

Oil paintings, rich in colour, realistic and impressionist (Manet): landscapes, portraits and animals.

The Major's House was intended for the head of the garrison and the police in the 1780s. This building was successively court, school and then fire station. The deed of retrocession of the island to France was signed within these walls on March 16, 1878. After an identical renovation in 2006 intended to restore its original character, its walls were covered with wainscoting and its roof with essences. It now houses administrative services.