DULLARD CEMETERY

This cemetery has an international reputation. It is located in the middle of the village, the last refuge of the Blancs-Matignon. Built into the hillside, it is very impressive with its 1,800 earthenware tiled graves arranged in a black and white (and sometimes even pink and blue!) checkerboard pattern. This cemetery is mentioned in guidebooks around the world. According to historians, it seems that the first grave was built in 1847, 20 years after the construction of the town, by a family of Békés. Surprisingly, some of the vaults look like small houses, some of which were built by architects. From the farmer to the musician and the Béké planter, all strata of society are now represented in this incredible place. But the most important moment of the year is during All Saints' Day: each grave, each vault, is cleaned and repainted if necessary. The cemetery is lit up with a thousand and one candles on the^1st and 2nd of November because the 2nd of November, the feast of the dead, is a public holiday in Guadeloupe; families come to visit their deceased at nightfall, with impressive bouquets of flowers. The place then becomes very lively, thanks in particular to the presence of sellers of bokits, pistachios or snowballs. Far from the gloom of the metropolitan cemeteries, this splendid amphitheatre on the hillside, dotted with vegetation, continues to amaze all visitors who come here.