The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Convention lists 931 sites around the world as “World Heritage Sites” for reasons of significant contributions to history, culture, anthropology, archaeology, religion, science, etc. Such sites as the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, for instance. Other recognizable faces in the list include the Palace of Versailles, the Pyramids of the Giza Plateau, Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island, and the Grand Canyon.
Well, Haiti has one of these, too.
This enormous structure sits on the top of a high mountain peak just south of Cap-Haitian.
There is one way to reach the Citadel…
…a single lane winding path that curls up the side of the mountain.
For someone who loves history (particularly military history) would find the Citadel Henri fascinating beyond their wildest imagination.
This enormous structure was built by the Haitians just after the turn of the 19th Century in an effort to resist Napoleon’s navy. To put that into historical reference, the world’s first skyscraper wasn’t built until 1884 in Chicago and it was made of steel beams on flat ground using the best technology of the day. The Citadel was built to almost the same height 3/4 of a century before by a few thousand freed slaves in an island jungle.
But what’s the best part of all this?
The Citadel Laferriere is still occupied. The photo above is of an active kitchen.
A place cannot literally speak to you. The walls cannot tell you their family history or sit down with you and say profound things.
So my friends and I clambered up to this big thing and met the man with the keys.
He told us of his love for this place. He told us of his life here for 30 years. He and his children who have grown up here call this Citadel – one of the great historic structures of the world in a list with the Tower of London and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem – home.
He also said that people look at this structure like some sort of ruined thing. But he told us to look around and see that the workers aren’t repairing anything… they’re completing it. This Citadel was started over 200 years ago and it is an unfinished structure. He said that it is just like Haiti, the country: we got things started a long time ago and all we need to do is finish the job.
It is never too late.
So we spent the night at the Citadel Laferriere as the guests of the caretaker and his family.
Stay tuned…
-Noah D.
