Places linked to a character to visit Martinique

The birthplace of Marie-Joseph-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie, the future Empress Josephine (1763-1814), who married Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) on March 9, 1796, this former sugar mill, formerly known as "Petite Guinée", is a place of remembrance that we highly recommend you visit. The museum has recently been refurbished to showcase the large slave community that lived here: up to 300 slaves at the height of the sugar industry in the ^18th century. For almost three centuries, these 500 hectares were home to a variety of crops: cotton, tobacco, cocoa, followed a little later by sugar cane and market gardening.

The tour begins at the mill, where the sugarcane passed through, and continues in the museum housed in the former kitchen of the main building. Through letters, souvenirs and rare objects from the period, as well as antique furniture that once belonged to Joséphine, the historical tour immerses us in the daily life of the empress. From now on, the museum will focus not only on Joséphine, but also on the slaves, recreating their way of life. The new museum space brings them to life by displaying their first names. Thanks to archive material, actors have lent them their voices, and we can now hear them. An emotionally-charged experience in which the women, men and children who lived here come to life. The tour continues through the lush garden, which, in addition to its beautiful plants, is now home to an area dedicated to medicinal plants.

At the bend in the road between Le Diamant to Anses d'Arlet, take the time to dive into the story of Médard Aribot, a talented sculptor and convict in his time. Upon his return from French Guiana, he fell in love with this piece of land perched above the water, in the shadow of Morne Larcher and erected a small house of terribly reduced proportions. He spent the rest of his life sculpting, decorating and living in it before silently disappearing in 1973. Despite restoration campaigns, the house is threatened by time and vandalism.

When the colonial past of the region is evoked, it is the “Maison du Gaoulé” that springs to mind: dissatisfied with the “royal commercial executive" - the obligation to trade with France - the inhabitants organized the first open rebellion against metropolitan tutelage in 1717. After a meal served in the house of Gaoulé, in the O'Mullane district, the planters kidnapped Governor La Varenne and Intendant Ricouart, representatives of King Louis XV.

Dating back to the second half of the ^17th century, Habitation Basse-Pointe was originally owned by Claude Poquet, a historical figure who wore many political hats. At the end of the ^18th century, the Habitation became the property of Denis Pécoul, deputy public prosecutor, and it was Jean-François Pécoul who gave it its definitive name in 1777. Towards the middle of the following century, Auguste Pécoul diversified cultivation, producing tobacco, coffee and silk in addition to sugarcane. Today, only bananas are grown. The property's layout is organized in such a way that the living space for the workers in huts unfolds around the main house, which is the heart of the estate, overlooking the coconut tree avenue. Listed as a historic monument in 1981, the main house is relatively well preserved. Rectangular in plan with no gallery, it is topped by a wasp-waisted second floor with a smaller perimeter. A sign of refinement on the part of the builders: the ashlar for the buildings was imported from Europe. The ruins of the factory chimney bear witness to the cane industry of yesteryear, while two Hindu temples bear witness to the survival of the ancient Tamils who arrived here in 1853 to make up for the shortage of manpower following the abolition of slavery in 1848. The dwelling was added to the heritage of the famous Habitation Clément (Le François) and Habitation Sucrerie in 2002. It is now managed by the Fondation Clément, which opens it to the lucky public during Heritage Days in September.

Developed under the Second Empire as a chic district of the capital away from the working-class Terres Sainville neighborhood, Giopeinture still maintains its bourgeois allure today. It's a pleasant place to stroll and look for vestiges of early ^20th-century Art Nouveau architecture. The Villa Primerose (1906-1920) was one of the most successful examples: this historic monument unfortunately burned down completely in July 2014.