Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2018 | Page 427

Dungeon
of Cyparis
A remarkable story is told about a prisoner who
survived the eruption of Mount Pelee in 1902,
protected by the thick stone walls of his cell. The
city of Saint Pierre was destroyed but the prisoner,
Louis-Auguste Cyparis, was discovered in his cell
three days after the tragedy, burnt and dehydrated
but alive! Visit the “Dungeon of Cyparis” on the old
prison grounds and take a peek inside the fortress
which stood bravely against the ravages of the
ferocious volcanic eruption in 1902. It is amazing
that a tangible piece of that aspect of the island’s
history remains accessible today.
Photo Credit: Yvan P.