Le Saint-Esprit

History of the Saint-Esprit Municipality

The town of Saint-Esprit, founded in 1746, emerged from the division of the "Cul-de-sac" parish, which was formed by the municipalities of Rivière-Salée, Ducos, and Les Trois-Îlets.

Like most parishes in Martinique, Saint-Esprit developed around its church and the town square. However, this location was short-lived.

The town's buildings and cemetery had to be relocated after the 1788 hurricane, which caused severe flooding of the Coulisses River.

About fifty years later, in 1833, Saint-Esprit finally became an independent municipality. Unfortunately, the years following the abolition of slavery were marked by waves of various epidemics due to recurrent flooding.

In 1855, a hospital was built in the town, and the cemetery was finally returned to its original location.

The year 1870 was quite eventful for the municipality:

• In September, a revolt broke out between white officials on the island and the oppressed black population residing there. This was the Southern Insurrection, which led to the burning of 25 houses in 3 days, including 7 in Saint-Esprit!
• On December 3, it became the capital of the Ducos, François, and Rivière-Salée canton, resulting in a massive influx of officials.

In 1871, thanks to the establishment of central factories in Rivière-Salée and Petit-Bourg, the municipality experienced economic growth.

From then on, the agricultural pattern changed. Large plantations delivered their sugar cane to the factories or transformed into distilleries, while smaller ones produced cocoa and food.

Furthermore, thanks to new infrastructure built between 1920 and 1935, the town, which was the capital of the canton, expanded even further. It also became an administrative and regional center, housing the justice of the peace, the tax office, and serving as a cultural center.

Although initially called a bourgeois town due to its population mainly composed of officials from neighboring towns and Saint-Pierre, Saint-Esprit would soon lose this title.

Following the closure of the two factories in Rivière-Salée and the crisis in the banana industry, its population decreased between 1950 and 1980, with unemployment increasing in favor of towns like Fort-de-France and its suburbs.

The Spiritains, who stayed in place, turned to the cultivation of bananas and citrus fruits, among other things.

A bit later, Saint-Esprit became attractive again, not because of employment opportunities but rather due to its proximity to the coastal municipalities in the south and the more urban central areas.

URBANISM

Saint-Esprit is home to one of the two only hospitals in the southern part of the island, named "Centre hospitalier de Saint-Esprit."

To reach the municipality using public transportation, you have several options:

• The SudLib network offers three direct bus lines: 47, 48, and 49, as well as intercommunal lines G and I.
• The CCAS provides a social mobility transport service called "Oxygène."
• Two shared taxis allow you to travel from the municipality to the capital.

Additionally, several departmental roads connect the town to the member city of the "Espace Sud" urban community:

• Roads 5 and 6 from Ducos
• Road 34 from Rivière-Pilote
• Roads 31 and 18 from Le François

GEOGRAPHY of this Southern Martinique Municipality

Saint-Esprit, Martinique, has an area of 23.46 km² with a population of 10,113 residents.

The municipality, shaped like a basin and surrounded by hills, is crossed by the Coulisses River and the Cacaos River.

To the southwest, south, and southeast of Saint-Esprit, you will find the municipalities of Rivière-Salée, Rivière-Pilote, and Le Vauclin, respectively. To the north, there is Ducos, and to the east, Le François.

Lastly, the central-southern municipality is home to two natural areas of ecological, faunistic, and floristic interest: Bois la Charles and Morne Monésie.

All these green areas have earned it three labels: "Villes et Villages Fleuris – 3 Fleurs" (Towns and Villages in Bloom - 3 Flowers), "Charte d’entretien des espaces publics – 3 feuilles" (Charter for Maintaining Public Spaces - 3 Leaves), and "petites villes de demain" (small towns of tomorrow).

POLITICS

A Breath of Renewal

Since 2014, the Republican Fred-Michel Tirault has served as the mayor of the Saint-Esprit municipality.

He succeeded the former right-wing mayor Eric Hayot, who held the position for nearly 27 years.

YOUTH

Saint-Esprit has 7 elementary schools distributed across its various neighborhoods to facilitate access to education for every young Spiritain.

The municipality also has a college named Edmond-Lucien Valard, which includes a section for ULIS (Unité Localisée pour l'Inclusion Scolaire or Localized Unit for Inclusive Education).

CULTURE

What to Do in Saint-Esprit, Day and Night?

Nature Escape

The municipality of Saint-Esprit primarily focuses on green tourism.

• Firmin Waterfall
• Morne Baldara Viewpoint
• Hiking
• La source Caraïbe

The History of Saint-Esprit through Stone

In terms of architecture, whether it's religious or cultural monuments, the history of Martinique has left us with traces of the past.

In the category of religious monuments, you can find in Saint-Esprit:

• Saint-Esprit Church

In the museum category, you can find in Saint-Esprit:

• Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions
• Habitation La Nau

IN SUMMARY

As a crossroads municipality, Saint-Esprit has found its rightful place in the heart of Martinique's life.

Despite its discreet nature, the municipality stands out from other southern municipalities, which often have a reputation for being too touristy.

Focused on sustainable development and the preservation of its nature, it remains an urban municipality, well-located, and a pleasant place to live.