Place de l'Esplanade, known as Place des Palmistes

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Place des Palmistes, located in the heart of Cayenne in Guyana, was built in 1821 by the Surveyor Sidey on a space then called "la Savane", after the demolition of the city walls in 1810. Originally invaded by herbs and used as pasture for sheep, this 3 hectare place was structured in 1834 by the plantation of royal palm trees (Roystonea oleacea), imported from Guisanbourg and arranged according to a regular grid. The original tamariners were replaced to embellish this space, which became a symbol of urban aeration and modernization under the impulse of the colonial authorities.

In 1889, the square welcomed the column of the Republic, erected to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution, surmounted by a bust of Marianne locally nicknamed "Queen Charlotte" in tribute to Charlotte Corday. In 1890, this monument also commemorated the end of the absolute monarchy. The development continued in the 20th century: in 1925 Governor Chanel had a network of cement drainage canals dug to combat seasonal flooding, and installed decorative columns topped with flowerpots. These infrastructures, partially built by bagards between 1870 and 1880, illustrate the adaptation of the site to climatic and urban constraints.

The Merlet fountain, dedicated to Mayor Nicolas Merlet and installed in 1867, was replaced in 1957 by the statue of Felix Éboué, the first black governor of Guyana and figure of the Resistance during the Second World War. This monument, designed by architect Devallière and sculptor Gordon, marks the symbolic evolution of the square, from a utility space to a place of memory. Between 1945 and 1950, 456 new royal palm trees were planted under the impetus of Prefect Vignon, renewing the plant landscape. Ranked a historic monument in 1999, Place des Palmistes today embodies Cayenne's historical, cultural and landscape heritage.

The original harmony of the site, based on a strict grid of palm trees, was partially altered by subsequent developments, such as the construction of a tennis court in the north or the gradual disappearance of some trees. In 1995 there were 296 palm trees out of the 500 initials, creating a gradient of sizes that breaks with the uniformity of origin. Despite these changes, the square remains a central space of the life of Cayen, mixing colonial history, republican heritage and Caribbean biodiversity, with its Roystonea oleacea up to 25 meters high.

The maze inspired by the English gardens, created between 1871 and 1891 by Governor Gerville-Reache and engineer Hayes, adds a unique landscape dimension instead. The reverberators installed in 1862, the brick hoses, and the decorative cement vases testify to the continuous efforts to embellish and functionalize this space. Today, the Place des Palmistes, bordered by the streets Léon-Gonrand-Damas and the Avenue du Général-de-Gaulle, remains a place of gathering and commemoration, protected for its urban furniture and historic developments.

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