La Savane is a 12½ acre
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
located on the
Fort-de-France Bay
Fort-de-France Bay is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Martinique. It is named after Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, the chief town on the bay.
Important Bird Area
A tract of some 3,361 ha, encompassing the largest ...
in
Martinique. It was formerly known as Jardin du Roi (garden of the king) and its first purpose is said to have been to harbor scientific experiments on plants that were new to the colony at that time.
The park has no fence. Its
Caribbean gardens
Caribbean Gardens was a market, gardens and amusement park located in the outer eastern suburb of Scoresby in Melbourne, Australia, on the north/west side of Caribbean Lake, a large -long artificial lake along the northern (right) bank of Co ...
face
Fort Saint Louis (formerly known as ''Fort Royal'') on the east side. On the west side the park borders the Bibliothèque Schoelcher (or Schoelcher Library), a Romanesque-Byzantine building initially part of the
Paris Exposition of 1889, dismantled, shipped to Martinique and re-built in Fort-de-France. La Savane is home to a statue of
Josephine Tascher de La Pagerie
Josephine may refer to:
People
* Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer
Places
*Josephine, Texas, United States
*Mount Josephine (disambiguation)
* Josephine Count ...
, born on the island on 23 June 1763, later known as Josephine de Beauharnais, first wife of
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 ...
and
Empress of France. The Carrara marble statue, created by Vital Dubray, was vandalized and is now missing its head. The park also shelters a tiny colorful market offering exotic items, souvenirs and snacks.
References
External links
Fort-de-France – Fodor's Review(archived 11 October 2008)
*
Gardens in Martinique
{{Martinique-geo-stub