The Cap 110 Memorial

The Cap 110 memorial at Anse Caffard 

At Anse Caffard in Le Diamant, southwest of Martinique, a famous memorial does not go unnoticed. Indeed, the Cap 110 lies solemnly in this moving place, built to pay tribute to the victims of slavery. Impossible to visit Martinique without passing by this place full of history. Do not hesitate to organize your stay and rent a car to visit it.

The history of the Cap 110 memorial 

Martinique is closely linked to the triangular trade and slavery. The deportation of thousands of slaves to the islands of the Caribbean arc took place under terrible conditions. Although some survived the crossing, many died of thirst, hunger or simply ill-treatment. Many makeshift boats were also wrecked and the number of survivors was small.

You will then understand that the history of Martinique is not very joyful. It was in 1830 that a real tragedy struck the island. In the middle of the night of August 8, a clandestine ship carrying slaves struck the rocks of the coast of the town of Le Diamant. The slaves were Africans who were crossing from the African coast to the West Indies. The conditions of travel on the ship were deplorable, with the stowaways being placed directly in the hold. No less than 214 Africans died in this shipwreck while 86 were spared.

It was in 1998, at the time of the 150th anniversary of slavery, that the Cap 110 memorial was erected tohonour the many victims.

It is located at Anse Caffard, precisely at the place where the shipwreck took place, opposite the bay of Diamant. This is where you should go to see the imposing statues that line the road overlooking the Anse. 

The course of the visit to the Cape 110 Memorial 

Once there, you will discover a unique work of art, created by a Martinique artist named Laurent Valère. This one comprises no less than 15 very tightly packed statues. They are arranged in a triangle, in reference to the triangular trade. You will notice that only the bust of the victims is represented.

Created from white reinforced concrete with Trinidad and Tobago sand, this sculptural installation is a strong symbol. The artist chose the color white because it is the representation of mourning in Martinique. Let the emotion of the place, tamed by a strong trade wind and powerful waves crashing below the cliff, take you away.

In memory of the tragedy experienced by the African captives, Martinique decided to build remarkable statues. Each of them is placed on the ground, is two and a half meters high and weighs four tons. Each bust is oriented towards the sea. In reference to despair, the statues have a distressed posture and a defeated face. They look towards their native land.

The building takes its name from the cape that points to the Gulf of Guinea. It is from this region that many of the victims came from. Do not miss this solemn place full of history and come to pay tribute to these victims in a unique place.