The dungeon of Cyparis

The Dungeon of Cyparis Martinique: History

Built in the mid-18th century in Saint-Pierre, this small vaulted stone dungeon has only one door above which there is a small grille that lets in outside light. This dungeon was located in the prison of Saint-Pierre, but it was destroyed along with the city during the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902.

Who Was Cyparis, the Préchotin?

Originally from the town of Le Prêcheur, Louis-Auguste Cyparis, also known as Samson, was sentenced to one month in prison following a drunken brawl with a friend during which he struck his opponent with a machete.

Versatile in his occupations, he worked in various jobs before his imprisonment, including farming and fishing.

He was sentenced to 8 days in solitary confinement because he had escaped from prison to attend a party. It was because of this stint in prison that he tragically became famous as one of the few survivors (along with Léon Compère and Havivra Da Ifrile) of the pyroclastic flow from Mount Pelée on May 8, 1902.

Cyparis, Survivor of the Saint-Pierre Pyroclastic Flow

He miraculously survived thanks to the thickness of the dungeon walls. But from the depths of his cell, he heard long cries of terror and then nothing. He spent 3 days alone and injured in his cell, waiting for help.

He later testified:

"It was 8 o'clock. They hadn't brought me the day's ration yet when suddenly a tremendous noise was heard. Everyone was screaming for help, I'm burning, I'm dying. After 5 minutes, no one was screaming anymore, except for me, when smoke rushed violently through the small window of my door. This smoke burned so much that for a quarter of an hour, I was jumping right, left, up, and everywhere to avoid it. After a quarter of an hour, there was an awful silence. I listened, shouting for someone to come and save me. No one answered. So all of Saint-Pierre must be crushed under the earthquake, in the fire."

He later became very famous due to the peculiar reasons for his survival, and he was subsequently pardoned and hired by the famous American circus, Barnum, as the main attraction due to his burns and injuries.

However, his success did not last, and he died in 1929, in Panama, in complete anonymity.

How to Get to Cyparis' Dungeon?

The dungeon is located on Boulevard Laigret or rue du Théâtre – 97250 – Saint Pierre. It is protected by a fence, but you have the opportunity to observe it fairly closely.