Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2018 | Page 432

Saint-Pierre
Fort-de-France
The capital of Martinique is Fort-de-Prince and many of the island’s visitor’s adventures start
here. One of the most famous island natives was Napoleon’s Empress Josephine. A headless
statue of her can be seen in vandalized form due to her stance on preserving the slave trade.
Although the statue was restored many times, any further attempts have been stopped. Full
of history, the capital is the perfect place to start your exploration of the island.
Photo Credit: Iva Balk
Once, Saint-Pierre was the island’s
main port and was known as the Pearl
of the West Indies until 1902 when
the nearby Mount Pelée volcano
erupted and destroyed it. Today
a new town has been built amid
the ruins of the old one and offers
dramatic views of the volcano. A one
room Volcanological Museum (Musée
Volcanologique) displays some
recovered remnants from before the
eruption and serves as a reminder to
all of its destructive power.