Monuments to visit Guadeloupe

A long-abandoned historic monument, this military battery is located at the eastern tip of Anse des Mûriers, the historic port of Terre-de-Bas. Restored with the help of the Conservatoire du Littoral, it was inaugurated in 2019. Facing out to sea, the battery was part of the Saintes defense line, and was used to monitor the arrival of enemies, mainly the English coming from Dominica. A bronze cannon is among the remains still visible. The site, overlooking the entrance to the port, also offers a magnificent view of the bay.

At the heart of a natural site protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral and the commune of Gourbeyre, these military remains date back to the early ^19th century. They are surrounded by a cursed fig tree (a species of ficus). The site was rediscovered a few years ago by a historian in charge of heritage at the Guadeloupe Regional Council. It bears witness to the rich military history of South Basse-Terre between the late ^18th and early ^19th centuries. The powder magazine is surrounded by remarkable trees, a vaulted ceiling and an uncovered room with a watering and feeding system for animals.

A first phase of site rehabilitation was completed in January 2019. First of all, a complete clean-up of the site was carried out by young RSMA recruits in 2017 (work that Gourbeyre's technical services had to repeat after Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017). Next came the pruning of the cursed fig tree that had imprisoned the structure for years. The primary objective was to maintain the balance between this majestic tree and this powder keg, which seems to have appeared out of nowhere. A second phase of work is planned to optimize the discovery of this monument and the biodiversity of the Caribbean Mountains, and to offer visitors a new element of historical knowledge and relaxation. Eventually, this site of heritage interest in the Bisdary district will be combined with outdoor sports trails, such as a mountain bike track.

Built at the end of the ^18th century opposite the port, the Maison Chapp is one of the oldest buildings in Basse-Terre. A great merchant, Charles Chapp, had it built to run his business. He could thus receive and store his merchandise, while living in it. The house has two ashlar facades, on Cour Nolivos and Rue du Docteur Cabre, one of which housed the stables and the other the warehouses. In addition to the ponds in the courtyard, the house also boasted a swimming pool, a rarity at the time. Charles Chapp also had a passion for painting. Paintings (family portraits, scenes from local life) were displayed on every floor. After the death of its owner, the house was passed on to his daughters, but eventually fell into neglect. Later, it became home to a bar (Cour Nolivos) and an ice-cream parlour (Rue du Docteur Cabre), at a time when refrigerators were still rare.

The Maison Chapp was listed as a historic monument in 1987. Renovation work (restoration, extension, seismic retrofitting) is currently underway on the interior, while work on the façade has been completed. Admire its elegance, with its finely wrought-iron balconies. The work undertaken by the Direction des Affaires Culturelles will give a new lease of life to the Chapp house, although at the time of writing it has not yet been determined how this will be achieved.

The house is only open for the Journées du Patrimoine and for special events (readings, screenings, concerts, artist residencies, exhibitions, literary encounters...) which take place once a month. It is not possible to visit outside these times. The association La Souvenance - Maison Schwarz-Bart manages the site and keeps you informed of events via its various social networks.

Conceived, imagined and built in the 1960s by the legendary writing couple André and Simone Schwarz-Bart, La Souvenance is a unique creative space in Guadeloupe, a meeting place open to Caribbean arts and culture. In 2012, the house was awarded the Maison des Illustres label by the French Ministry of Culture, which recognizes places dedicated to preserving the memory of people who have distinguished themselves in French history.

The building, steeped in memory, houses a large terrace for special events, a grand salon with superb furnishings and works of art, and the two writers' offices. Read the novel Un plat de porc aux bananes vertes, written by the couple, or La Mulâtresse Solitude by André Schwarz-Bart, who died in 2006. Simone Schwarz-Bart looks back on her life with her husband in Nous n'avons pas vu passer les jours, co-written with Yann Plougastel and published in 2020. Guadeloupean writer Ernest Pépin has written a novel entitled La souvenance telling the story of this writing couple.