commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
zone of the Large Cape, preserve the vestiges of the primitive vegetation of Guadeloupe at the time of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
's arrival on November 4, 1493. The deepest bay of all the Caribbean coast and best naturally protected, it was used as shelter to the adventurers of
pirates
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
and other corsairs, and there is said to be treasure on the island.
In 1635, colonists landed at Allègre point, at the north end of the island. This part of the coast is very damp; Deshaies is an integral part of a wooded territory extending from Pointe Noire to Baie-Mahault.
On the site of the current borough was the plantation of Potherie, one of the greatest fortunes of the island in 1686. Ten years later, in 1696, the sugar plantations fell victim to the English corsairs.
The geographical configuration makes traveling to the district difficult, so inhabitants formed their own community, including their own militia. The borough was given two cannons on April 1, 1730, and established as a community by the will of the governor in 1732. The church was consecrated on June 29, 1733, and dedicated to Saint Pierre and Saint Paul. Deshaies was disorganized economically by
Victor Hugues
Jean-Baptiste Victor Hugues sometimes spelled Hughes (July 20, 1762 in Marseille – August 12, 1826 in Cayenne) was a French politician and colonial administrator during the French Revolution, who governed Guadeloupe from 1794 to 1798, emancipa ...
' conquest and the abolition of slavery. The majority of her inhabitants had taken up arms for the revolution, but the island remained in the hands of the royalists.
The 19th-century
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
ic era was not good for Deshaies because it was the zone in which a Caribbean empire developed. Its distance from the chief town (Basse-Terre) made Deshaies vulnerable despite its strategic position. After the naval battle in the bay between French and British on September 5, 1803, the borough and the coastal properties of the vicinity were devastated by the British. The war combined with
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
, which was endemic in the area, made people disinclined to live there.
Thirty years later, four years after the abolition of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, there remained only one sugar plantation, Guyonneau, belonging to the Caillou family.
The commune in 1852 saw periods of tensions. The opposition between Caillou and the black farmers of his plantation, who were supported by the priest of the parish, Lettre, became the working class struggle against the wealthy classes, and of the religious authority against the administrative authority.
The government of the colony, the Minister for the Navy and the Colonies, feared Deshaies would not support him and maintained correspondence with his superiors. Once law and order had been returned, the ministry ordered the deportation of the priest. The ministry created a police station squad maintained by the governor in 1877, despite the refusal of the Council General. Between the time slavery was abolished and the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, lack of education remained the principal obstacle to the development of this community. Appointment to the civil or religious administration of Deshaies was regarded as a disgrace to the person so appointed. Deshaies remained insulated and marginalized. There has been a road connecting the chief towns of the leeward shore since 1922, but it ended in Pointe Noire, the commune bordering Deshaies. The road was extended to Deshaies only in 1957.
The current
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
is
Jeanny Marc
Jeanny Marc-Mathiasin (born 2 December 1950 in Deshaies, Guadeloupe) is a member of the National Assembly of France. She represented Guadeloupe's 3rd constituency on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, and was a member of United Guadeloupe, S ...
.
Geography
Deshaies is located on the leeward northwest coast of
and is secluded in a bay, where two headlands stick out. Deshaies' coordinates are 16° 18 ' N & 61° 48 'W. The mountain range is east while the Caribbean Sea is west.
It includes Kahouanne, an uninhabited islet of 1,500 metres from the coast. It is about in area and is a protected site.
Mixed crops are grown such as vanilla, sugar, coffee, cocoa and bananas. Fishing is an important industry where different types of fish can be bought at the mini-market.
Tourism is booming and hotels and restaurants are located nearby. There is a craft industry where wooden souvenirs can be purchased in shops. Aggregate extraction is done.
Since 2011, Deshaies, and many of its businesses, have become the main filming location of the TV series '' Death in Paradise''.
intended for exclusively American customers (currently the Langley Resort Hotel Fort Royal Guadeloupe). This resort is the only hotel on the island of Basse Terre which is directly located on the beach.
The late French comedian
Parti pour zouker
"Parti pour zouker" is the name of a 2006 song recorded by the French artist Lorie. It was the third single from her fourth studio album, '' Rester la même'', on which it is the eighth track. It was released on 26 May 2006 and features Dadoumi ...
" by the French artist Lorie was shot on a beach of Deshaies.Lorie' s music video Just-Lorie.net (Retrieved May 22, 2008)
French singer Barone shot a video on the beach at Hotel Fort Royal in 2014.
Deshaies has become well known because, as the fictional town of
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series ''Death in Paradise''.
* The beaches of Grande Anse, Rifflet, La Perle, Bas Vent and Ferry are located nearby.
* The Orchises garden.
* Pointe Batterie.
* Sail & Surf Club at Langley Resort Hotel Fort Royal Guadeloupe which also includes a diving center.
* Sunset cruise at Deshaies village
* The
Jardin botanique de Deshaies
The Jardin botanique de Deshaies is a botanical garden located in Deshaies, Guadeloupe. It is open daily from 9h00 until 16h30. There is an admission fee of €15.90 for adults or €10.90 for children, with a group discount also available. Stu ...
(Botanical garden of Deshaies).
* The beaches of Plage de Cluny, Plage de l'Hotel Fort Royal (Bas Vent), Plage de la Perle, Plage de Grande Anse, Plage de Ferry
Olivier Dacourt
Olivier Yohan Dacourt (born 25 September 1974) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is also a former French international and is best known for his spells at English side Leeds United and Italian clubs Roma a ...
*
Jeanny Marc
Jeanny Marc-Mathiasin (born 2 December 1950 in Deshaies, Guadeloupe) is a member of the National Assembly of France. She represented Guadeloupe's 3rd constituency on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, and was a member of United Guadeloupe, S ...