Saint-Pierre

"The colonial town of St. Pierre, on Martinique's west coast, has a colorful past. Rich from the earnings of the sugar and rum trades, it was once considered the Paris of the Caribbean—until 1902, when itwas destroyed bythe violent eruption of the island's largest volcano, Mount Pelée. Avolcano museum in St. Pierre displays items plucked from the rubble and historic photos of the town before and immediately after the eruption. Today, the fine church with historic displays bears testamentto the town's comeback."

"Visit Saint-Pierre, the little Pompeii of the Caribbean What’s old is new again in Saint-Pierre, a city built under majestic Mount Pelée on Martinique’s Caribbean coast. In 1902, Mount Pelée volcano erupted, leveling the city and killing all 30,000 inhabitants– save one lucky prison inmate, whose thick cell walls protected him from the blast. Today, the rebuilt Saint-Pierre honors its fiery past at the Musée Volcanologique, a mini-Pompeii filled with carefully preserved relics. History meets modernity at the southern entrance where seven inspired, contemporary Caribbean artists have created 32 colorful totem sculptures welcoming guests. There are also popular dive sites nearby, where scuba divers can swim alongside century-old wrecks of ships that sunk in the explosion. Sponsored by Martinique"

"The colonial town of St. Pierre, on Martinique's west coast, has a colorful past. Rich from the earnings of the sugar and rum trades, it was once considered the Paris of the Caribbean—until 1902, when itwas destroyed bythe violent eruption of the island's largest volcano, Mount Pelée. Avolcano museum in St. Pierre displays items plucked from the rubble and historic photos of the town before and immediately after the eruption. Today, the fine church with historic displays bears testamentto the town's comeback."