Indigorie de Grand Fond

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Origin and history

Indigoterie de Grand Fond is a former dye factory located in Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante, on the island of Marie-Galante in Guadeloupe. Built between the 17th and 18th centuries, it was used to transform indigotier leaves into blue dye, a flourishing activity in the limestone areas of the archipelago. Its limestone architecture, with two sets of tanks (trempories and batteries) arranged in squares, allowed for continuous production of indigo, a very popular commodity to compete with pastel in Europe.

The period of indigo activity in Guadeloupe extended from 1680 to 1735, with a peak in 1720 in Marie-Galante, where nearly 90 units produced indigo. Their decline was caused by the massive competition of Santo Domingo. Indigo produced in Grand Fond was sold in mainland Guadeloupe and Martinique, then exported to Europe by French and Dutch merchants. Indigo, one of the 24 still visible on the island, stands out for its excellent state of conservation.

Ranked at the Historic Monuments on December 10, 2013, the Grand Fond indigotry illustrates the economic importance of the indigotier culture (Indigofera suffruticosa and Indigofera tinctoria) in the French Antilles. Its functional architecture, including a central well to supply the tanks, reflects the production techniques of the time. The remains, with their still visible pole holes, offer a rare testimony of this industry today disappeared.

Located in the Galets region, which was less rainy and conducive to indigenous farming, this indigo was part of a production network concentrated on the east coast of Marie-Galante. Its inscription in the title of Historic Monuments underscores its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its role in the colonial economic history of Guadeloupe.

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