Archiscape Blog

Guadeloupe: A Caribbean Island with French Flair

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Karin • Filed under: , ,

I had the pleasure of visiting Guadeloupe in April. The weather was beautiful and the islands a delight to all senses! During our vacation, I had time for a little work – fun work, that is! I explored the interesting and eclectic architecture that shapes this Caribbean archipelago.  The architecture tells its own story about the history of the island with influences of the French and English who fought over the island through the 18th and 19th centuries and from the melting-pot of people now living on the island – Africans, Indians, and Chinese creating a creole culture.

History

Originally inhabited by the Arawaks and the Caribs, Christopher Columbus arrived on the ‘Butterfly Island’ in 1493 and named it after Santa Maria de Guadalupe de Extremadura. Spain kept it as a trading post until 1635 when the French seized the island and started building sugar plantations.  By the late 1600’s the island became an annex of France and slaves from Africa were imported.  Guadeloupe was won by Great Britain in the mid-1700’s and control over the island switched between France and Great Britain until it was left to Sweden in 1813.  In 1814, Sweden gave the island to France in the Treaty of Paris. France named Guadeloupe an overseas region in 1946. The island’s economy still depends on agriculture as one of its main resources (sugar, bananas, flowers and spices), though light industry (sugar and rum production) and tourism have grown to be other sources of income today.

Landscapes

To get a visual of Guadeloupe, imagine twin tropical islands, split in two by a man-made channel, the Rivière Salée.  The flatter island of Grande-Terre has been developed with agriculture (sugarcane, bananas), cities and towns, while the more mountainous Basse-Terre’s inland has been largely left alone, with original rain forests left for hiking and other eco-tourist activities. Both islands’ shoreline is dotted with pretty towns, rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. As we drove along the winding roads, meandering cows and goats often greeted us. A hike in the natural preserve on the island of Basse-Terre brought us to tiny bridges in the canopy of the rain forest – an experience never to be forgotten.

Pointe-à-Pitre

Pointe-à-Pitre is Guadeloupe’s largest city and economic capital. A day trip there led us  through narrow streets of colorful colonial houses and lively shops, to the harbor market with fresh seafood of all sorts and the fragrant spice, flower and food markets. Two museums honor major characters of Guadeloupe history  – Victor Schoelcher, who led the country to abolish slavery, and Saint John Perse, the Nobel prize-winning poet who was born here, and whose house also showcases furniture and clothing of 19th century Guadeloupe. The beautiful Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul was designed by Gustav Eiffel, with ironwork similar to his more famous Tower and reminiscent of Labrouste’s Bibliotheque Nationale  in Paris. Adding to the eclectic mix of buildings are rows of modernist apartment blocks and office buildings.

own and Country

The outlying areas show the early history of the island through its architecture – plantation houses in the landscape; small towns with church and market as center; and landmarks to the island’s marine history. The island has suffered many natural and man-made disasters, from fires to hurricanes and earthquakes. Recovery from these often involved new architect-designed town centers and other buildings. A short history of 20th century post-disaster modern architecture, can be found here… (The Age of the Modern Architect in Guadeloupe)

Karin Patriquin, AIA

J’ai rêvé, l’autre soir, d’îles plus vertes que le songe.

I had a dream, the other night, of islands greener than a dream.

— Saint John de Perse (Alexis Leger)

A bientôt,
Karin