In downtown Saint-Pierre, among old ruins, lies the only cell of the city jail that has been spared from the eruption of Mount-Pelée in 1902. This disaster destroyed the whole city and killed all his inhabitants, leaving only two survivors including the famous Louis-Auguste Cyparis : the convict that was locked in that cell. Rent a car and go discover the historical town of Saint-Pierre.
The cell of Cyparis is located in the Center district of Saint-Pierre town. It is there that Cyparis was locked away for attacking another man with a knife when drunk. Ironically, this misadventure will then save his life.
Indeed, the location of the jail and the thickness of its walls protected the convict against the volcano's toxic and corrosive gas that killed everybody else, except him and Léon Compère. Nevertheless, some gaz still made it into the cell and caused severe burns all over his body, that can be seen on pictures of him taken at that time. Cyparis became famous thanks to his incredible story and the twist of faith that saved his life. He spent the rest of his life exhibiting his scars at the American Barnum circus. Finally, death caught up with him in 1929 in Panama.
Listed on the register of historical landmarks, the cell of Cyparis is a place out of the ordinary, an intact physical testimony to the greatest disaster of the history of Martinique.
A little advice from RentaCar Martinique : rent an econimic car to go to Saint-Pierre and visit the famous cell of Cyparis.
Practical information
The cell of Cyparis is located in downtown Saint-Pierre. Rent a car to go to Saint-Pierre, park in the city center and have a walk in town to make the most of your visit.
