Old Town Hall and Theatre

About

The former Town Hall of Fort-de-France is a neo-classical building located at No 116 on Victor-Severe Street in Fort-de-France, Martinique. It houses the Aimé-Césaire theatre.

History: The construction of the Town Hall of Fort-de-France began in 1884 at the site of the former Saint-Victor Civil Hospice, to replace the House of Commune dating from 1848 and located on Victor Hugo Street. The work of the contractor Krous was interrupted by the great fire of the city on 22 June 1890 and the cyclone of 18 August 1891. They were taken over and followed by De Laguarigue, after modification of the plans, and completed on 21 September 1901, the date of its inauguration.

Antoine Siger, who had been mayor for six months, was murdered on the balcony in 1908 in the midst of an electoral campaign. As early as 1912, an annex was added to the building in which a municipal theatre was built with a 800-seat Italian theatre. Since 1970, the building has become too small, the new town hall is held on the boulevard du Général de Gaulle and the old one has remained the municipal theatre. However, Aimé Césaire, mayor of the city from 1945 to 2001, keeps his office there, including after the end of his term...