MACTE - MEMORIAL ACT

The ACTe Memorial was inaugurated by President François Hollande on May 10, 2015, the day slavery was commemorated in mainland France. Many heads of state from the Caribbean and Africa made the trip. The monument was erected on the site of Darboussier, once the largest sugar unit in the West Indies, in memory of the victims of slavery and the slave trade.

This Caribbean center of expression is versatile and constantly evolving. It is not a traditional museum with a fixed exhibition, but a memorial with a framework that leaves more room for the imagination. The 7,800^m2 building houses a 1,700^m2 permanent exhibition hall with 6 spaces and 36 thematic islands, from Antiquity to the present day. A further 700^{m2 is} dedicated to temporary exhibitions. Visitors are welcomed in the monumental patio known as the "tree of life". A research area contains 6,000 to 8,000 genealogical trees of Guadeloupean families. An 11.5-metre-high, 275-metre-long footbridge offers a stroll between heaven and earth, leading to "Morne Mémoire", a 2.2-hectare panoramic garden where the master's house, a vinegar factory and the slave cemetery were located.

A free audioguide is provided at the start of the tour, with commentary in a choice of French, English, Spanish, Italian, German or Creole. Bags, telephones and cameras must be left in the individual lockers at the entrance.