2024

JARDIN DU MUSÉE DE LA PAGERIE

Parks and gardens

It was here, on this site overlooking the Caribbean Sea, that Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie was born in 1763. The future Empress Josephine spent her first sixteen years here. At the time, this 300-hectare former sugar estate was known as "Little Guinea": 200 slaves worked in the cane, coffee and indigo fields exported to France, and the property had no garden of its own. Destroyed by a hurricane in 1766, the dwelling was left somewhat abandoned before being bought back in the 19th century. But it wasn't until 1944 and the intervention of Dr. Robert Rose-Rosette, future mayor of Trois-Ilets, that this heritage was restored. All that remains of the sugar mill that was home to Joséphine's family are the ruins, listed as a Monument Historique. The mill where the plantation's cane was distilled is now used to welcome visitors. A museum featuring objects belonging to the Empress has been created, as has a magnificent garden planted with trees. Beautifully landscaped, it is home to a wealth of wild vegetation, including a plethora of African sausage trees. A flower bed surrounds a bust of Josephine. A lovely walk in a green setting.

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