Cathédrale Notre Dame de Guadeloupe
Located in Basse-Terre, the Cathedral is dedicated to "Our Lady of Guadeloupe"; the venerated empress of the Americas. With an exterior made from volcanic stone, it is recognized as a national monument of France, and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Basse-Terre.
The first building was built in November 30, 1673, on land given to the Capuchins by Governor Du Lion. In 1850, the dioceses of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion were created, and the Saint-François church was then consecrated as a cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul - Pointe-à-Pitre
The attractive yellow painted church, Église Saint-Pierre-Et-Saint-Paul, nicknamed the ‘Iron Cathedral,’ because rather than the traditional arches, it is supported by iron girders intended to brace it against earthquakes and hurricanes. It holds the unique place in history as a structure built by the Gustave Eiffel who also constructed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The church has stood in its current form since 1876.
Sometimes referred to as a “Cathedral” in Guadeloupe because of it is the largest catholic church on the island, holding approximately 1,000 people. It is not only is it used for church services but also for concert, civic and community events.
The building was classified as a historic monument in 1978.
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Mémorial ACTe - Pointe-à-Pitre
The Memorial ACTe or "Caribbean Centre of Expressions and Memory of the Slave trade and Slavery" is a unique place of remembrance. It opened in 2015 with two aims: to document the reality of the victims' suffering while using the act of commemoration to work towards a better society.
Housed in a spectacular silver-latticework structure on the site of the former Darboussier 7,800 m² sugar factory on Pointe-à-Pitre's waterfront, The ACTe chronicals the history of slavery in the Caribbean from the arrival of Columbus and beyond. The main exhibition takes visitors on a journey through six historic periods called "Archipelagos": The Americas, Towards slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, The slavery period, Abolition, Post-abolition and segregation, and Today.
The narrative is displayed on screens and also very effectively evoked through large art installations, some of which have been exhibited at the Louvre. Highlights include a section on the Code Noir, where you can see real iron shackles, a reconstruction of a slave hut, traditional Carnival costumes, a display on Rastafarianism, and ending with presentation on modern-day slavery and people trafficking around the world.
The Memorial ACTe was declared European Museum of the Year by the European Council in 2017.