Go in search of the Prisoner’s House Not so easy to find, this tiny house in the shape of a cube of barely 2m20 side! Called the Prisoner’s House, it is visible, if you take care of it, below the D37 road, about one kilometer from the town of Diamant , towards Anse d’Arlet.
You will appreciate making a stop there, not only for its magnificent panorama overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the Diamond Rock but also for a quick yet informative visit to this Martinican curiosity.
Convict's House Martinique: A Bit of History
Once upon a time, there was a talented Martinican sculptor named Médard Aribot, sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony. The reasons for his conviction remain somewhat unclear. It is said that he sculpted and then brandished a sculpture depicting a certain Colonel Coppens during a riot in 1925.
The retired colonel, who owned a distillery, was a candidate in the municipal elections. Faced with the protesters, he ordered the gendarmes to use their weapons, resulting in a massacre in which he was killed.
Médard Aribot was then sentenced for his involvement in this Diamond War, but only in 1933 and officially for minor thefts of little importance.
When the Cayenne penal colony closed in 1945, Médard Aribot was released. He spent a few more years in French Guiana before returning to Martinique in 1953, where he began building this surprising little wooden house, painted in bright colors.
The history of Martinique through time
Visit to the Convict's House
The Convict's House is a witness to the history of the struggles of the people of Diamant. It is visible from the road and accessible to the general public free of charge.
It was vandalized and then restored in 2017.
The municipality of Le Diamant wants to allow free and unrestricted visits to this typical cabin.
Inhabited by its creator until his death in 1973, the house is listed on the historical monuments list of Martinique.
Originally, its owner painted it in white with blue, red, and yellow. It is now repainted in yellow, blue, and red.
During your stay on the island of flowers, be sure not to miss the opportunity to admire the unique work of the sculptor-convict.
