FORT SAINT-LOUIS
Read moreA rocky promontory nearly 600 meters long, dug out, carved, dressed with stones and raised in places, Fort Royal, renamed Fort Saint-Louis in 1802, is a masterpiece of the defensive arsenal of Martinique. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in the West Indies. It is the fortress that gave its name to the inhabitants of Fort-de-France: the Foyalais, as the Creole for Fort Royal is Foyal.
The history of Fort Saint-Louis began around 1640, when du Parquet, governor of Martinique, decided to fortify the small rocky peninsula that juts into the Royal cul-de-sac, Baie des Flamands. What was initially a simple wooden palisade gradually became, thanks to the will of governors-general such as Baas or Blénac, and with the subsidies granted by Louis XIV, a fort “à la Vauban”, imposing, solid, robust, with its labyrinth of bastions, bunkers, and sentry boxes. The fort was built from volcanic rocks from Mount Pelee! The place is still well guarded! Still active, it has kept its military vocation and houses the headquarters of the Navy command in the Antilles. The tourist office of Fort-de-France organizes very interesting guided tours, about one hour long, which are a must-do! During your walk, you will come across a colony of iguanas (some of which are 1.50 m long!). These herbivorous reptiles from tropical America are witnesses of the zoological past of this fortress.
FORT SAINTE-CATHERINE
Read moreAt the exit of the village in direction of north, you will be able to admire the vestiges of the old fort built in 1658 at the time of the foundation of the city. It was that year that the borough of Trinité was built, with the colonists settling at the entry of the peninsula. There, they chose to build a wooden chapel, at the foot of the hill where the Fort Sainte-Catherine is located. Even if it is not visited, its ruins evoke the time when La Trinité was a prestigious military garrison, the scene of many confrontations between the English and French troops.