Fort Delgres
Fort Delgres, a stone circle on the slopes of a Caribbean volcano that honors the leader of the fight against slavery is a must-visit destination for Guadeloupe.
Louis Delgrès, a free black man born in Guadeloupe, staged a furious uprising against Napoleon's General Antoine Richepanse in 1802, to prevent the return of slavery to the Caribbean, French. Louis Delgrès was an outstanding soldier in many battles for the French idealist. Although repeatedly arrested and escorted to England as a tortured prisoner, Delgrès never surrendered. When General Richepanse was sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to Guadeloupe to restore slavery, leading an armed revolt of civilians and soldiers of color.
Unfortunately, Delgrès and his 400 comrades were defeated by the French army, they were forced to retreat to this fortress, hide in a volcanic plantation, then commit suicide. After the failure, slavery was restored, but it is thought that the failure of the uprising drove the successful liberation struggle in Haiti. The fortress where he last stood is now named for him, more than 300 years later. As for General Richepanse, he fell ill shortly after the war and died a few weeks later. Today, his body is also buried in the military cemetery at the top of the fortress complex.
Located on the capital suburbs of the small hillside of Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre, Fort Delgres offers stunning views of volcanoes as well as the towns and oceans surrounding the island. This fortress was built in 1649 and was referred to as Fort St. Charles by Governor Charles Houël.
As have many other places in the Caribbean, Fort Delgres has been referred to as the Royal Fort and Fort Richepanse, as it has changed hands multiple times between the French and the British. In 1989, the island's governing board decided to vote to officially rename the fortress after the commander of the heroic rebellion, Louis Delgrès.
Fort Delgres is basically quite similar to these colonial-era stone fortresses, but one of the most important and special markings that make visitors fall in love with this place is the Louis Delgrès monument which is well worth a visit. It is like a sort of meditation maze meeting Stonehenge, with the head statue of Delgrès in the center. If we get close to stone spiral circles, we will see some engravings with the words "Liberte" and "Justice" on the rocks.
One tip that Toplist wants to show visitors before starting to visit one of the 4 Most Beautiful Historical Sites in Guadeloupe is that it is really necessary for visitors to remember to bring a google translation phone or vocabulary book as there is only signboard led in French. And of course, the entrance fee is free for all visitors. It is also one of the few attractions that are open from Sunday to 4:30 pm.
