Cape 110 Memorial – Anse Caffard Memorial

The Cap 110 Memorial, also known as the Anse Caffard Memorial, was created by Laurent Valère, a self-taught painter and sculptor born in 1959. He is also the originator of the monumental underwater artwork "Manman Dlo" in the bay of Saint-Pierre.

Cap 110 Memorial - Anse Caffard Memorial - AirLocal Martinique

Let's go back several centuries, specifically to the night of April 8 to 9, 1830. A clandestine slave ship ran aground off the rocks of Anse Caffard in Le Diamant, at the foot of Morne Larcher, with numerous captives from Africa on board.

A certain Mr. Dizac, who was the manager of Habitation Tourelle at the time, learned of this incident at 11:00 PM and managed to save the lives of 86 of these captives (26 men and 60 women) with the help of his own slaves. The next day, among the wreckage, 46 bodies were discovered (42 black individuals and 4 white individuals). No official documents were found, so the identity of the victims and the name of the ship remain unknown to this day.

According to a report, the slave ship's crew members were buried in the cemetery, while the captives were buried near the shore. This tragic event is one of the most significant stories in the city's history and left a deep trauma. As it would be the very last shipwreck of a slave ship in the history of Martinique, this memorial serves as a way to remember this tragic event that cost the lives of many innocents.

What Does the Cap 110 Memorial Represent?

The 15 statues in this historically charged location, standing at a height of 2.6 meters excluding the base and made of reinforced concrete, are arranged in a triangle, symbolizing the triangular trade that connected Africa to Europe and America, and which enslaved individuals were subjected to starting in 1705.

These individuals were exchanged for textiles, weapons, and raw materials such as sugar, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and cotton. The orientation and location where these statues gaze are also highly symbolic. Indeed, Cap 110 is oriented at 110° towards the Gulf of Guinea, from where it is assumed that various ships arrived. This location is all the more symbolic as it is situated on the land once owned by a colonist named Jean Caffard, as a final form of resistance to the oppressor.

The white color of the sculptures adds a funerary dimension, mourning the victims of the era of slavery and all its abuses.

If you observe closely, you'll notice that the sculptures do not wear chains because historically, the captives who arrived directly from Africa and died in Martinique were not slaves on the island. Those who survived were transferred elsewhere for legal reasons following the abolition of slavery.

The Cap 110 Memorial is located outdoors and is open to the public. Therefore, there are no specific opening hours or admission fees.

Since its inauguration, gatherings and commemorations have taken place every May 22 in honor of the abolition of slavery in Martinique, while during All Saints' Day, the monument is illuminated.