Monuments to visit Fort-De-France

It is one of the most visited buildings in the capital. In 1883, Victor Schoelcher donated part of his personal library to Martinique (10,000 books) but on one condition: that of creating a library that would be open to all, in particular for the instruction of former black slaves. The building—a metal structure—was designed and built for the 1889 Exhibition in Paris before being meticulously transported beam by beam to Fort-de-France. It is one of the few buildings on the island with such an eclectic style, with Roman, Byzantine, Egyptian, and Arab influences. Designed by the architect Pierre Henri Pick (1833-1911) and faithfully rebuilt according to the plans of its designer, it is a remarkable monument of the capital city. The building, as explained by Siméon Petit, curator of the site from 1919 to 1939, “was not built as a pavilion for the colony at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889 and transported here to serve its intended purpose. Rather, it is the opposite. It was commissioned to house Schoelcher's generous donation. As it was close to the date of the Exhibition in which the colony was preparing to take part, this monument was placed on the Champ-de-Mars, serving as the pavilion of Martinique”. Among the emblematic places of the capital, the library contains a collection of old books dedicated to the history of the island, as well as valuable archives. An ideal place to spend quality time, in the shade!

A 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.