LA FERRIÈRE CITADEL - NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK

Located 28 km from Cape-Qaddafi and 970 m above sea level, it is the work of Haitian engineer Henri Barré. Also known as the Citadel Henri Christophe, she is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the National Historic Park. On Thursday, thousands of people find themselves there.

Construction of the La Ferrière Citadel began in 1804. It was to be integrated into the general fortification system which was intended to defend the country against a possible return of Napoleon Bonaparte's troops. It was chosen to build it at 900 m above sea level at the peak of Cap-à-l'Bishop. A Haitian, Henri Barré, drew the drawings, inspired by a little Vauban (mutual protection of buildings) and many of the Marquis de Montalembert (vertical fortification, concentration of fire power established on several levels). Most of the works - from 1806 to 1817 - took place under the reign of King Christophe. About 200 000 men participated in the work, a good tenth of whom died. The monarch supervised the construction himself and showed great severity with the workers.

At a time when his power was disputed, the citadel appeared to be an ideal retreat site, able to shelter its soldiers and court. No doubt he also saw in this monument a symbol of the Haitian nation, as will so well express him, a century and a half later, the martiniquais writer Aimé Césaire.
In 1818, lightning fell on the citadel and the fire spread to the powder powder, causing heavy damage. It is therefore in a half-row fortress that King Christophe commits himself, two years later, with a silver bullet in the brain. After his death, the citadel gradually fell away. Many pieces of weapons were displaced or stolen, while vegetation over the years was gaining ground. In 1979, when the National Heritage Institute assisted by UNDP and UNESCO decided to restore the citadel, there remained only one hundred and sixty-two canons out of three hundred and sixty-five canons. A decade was needed to carry out this huge project which, in a century and a half, seemed to be right for King Christophe or at least for his motto: I renais my ashes.

It should also be noted that the citadel contains one of the largest collections of canons in the world: of all sizes and designed mainly in Europe, the mortars and other bombardes of the gallery dedicated to King Christophe's artillery is impressive!

A Read: The citadel, the large Caribbean battery, Monuments to the independence of a people, two brochures written by Ms Yvelt and Mr de Bazelaire, Decker, Delatour, Lubin, Mangones, and Neuville, published jointly by ISPAN, UNESCO and UNDP.