Citadelle Laferrière
Historic fortress and symbol of Haitian independence / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Citadelle Laferrière (Haitian Creole: Sitadèl-Laferyè), commonly known as La Citadelle (English: "The Citadel"), is a large early 19th-century fortress located in Milot in Nord, Haiti. It is situated on the Bonnet à l'Evêque mountaintop located approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) uphill from the town of Milot, 27 kilometres (17 mi) south of the city of Cap-Haïtien, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of the Three Bays Protected Area.[1]
Citadelle Laferrière | |
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Location | Milot, Nord, Haiti |
Coordinates | 19.573611°N 72.243889°W / 19.573611; -72.243889 |
Area | 108,000 square feet (10,000 m2) |
Elevation | 3,000 feet (910 m) |
Built | 1820 |
Built by | Henri Christophe |
Official name | National History Park – Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iv, vi |
Designated | 1982 (6th session) |
Reference no. | 180 |
State Party | Haiti |
Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
The Citadelle Laferrière was commissioned by Haitian revolutionary Henri Christophe, for whom it is also named Citadelle Henri Christophe, and built by tens of thousands of former slaves.[2] It was the main fortification of the newly independent First Empire of Haiti's defensive strategy against a potential French incursion.[3] The Citadelle is one of few Africans in New World-derived military fortifications in the New World, as well as the first example of African-derived colonial architecture. Designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1982 along with the Sans-Souci Palace, also commissioned by Christophe, the fortress is universally regarded as a landmark of Haiti.[3]