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Origin and history

The Roche Bridge, also known as the Old Stone Bridge, is a stonework built in 1766 to span the Roxelane River in Saint-Pierre, Martinique. It replaced an old wooden bridge erected in 1642 by the Jesuits, which linked their homes north of the city to their southern parishes. This wooden bridge, used to facilitate movement between neighbourhoods, was replaced after the expulsion of the Jesuits from the West Indies in 1762. An order of the governor of Ennery, dated 18 Nov. 1765, launched the construction of a stone bridge to improve transportation between the main port hall and the right bank, thus linking the Moulage and Fort districts.

The construction of the bridge was entrusted to the brother of Charity Cléophas Danton, who built it in 1766 thanks to voluntary financial contributions from the inhabitants of Saint-Pierre, called the Pierrotins. This bridge quickly becomes a central place of social life: its unique low arch and its stone parapets attract whitewashers, storytellers, and groups discussing the events of the day. It is also the scene of carnivalic confrontations between the red devils of the Fort and Mouling districts. Its strength is such that it survives the devastating eruption of Pelee Mountain in 1902, losing only its parapets.

Prior to this eruption, a marble plaque on the parapet on the sea side had a commemorative inscription dating from 1766. It referred to the reign of Louis XV, the generalate of the Earl of Ennery, and the stewardship of President Thomassin de Peynier, as well as the role of Brother Cléophas Danton. Both authorities' notes were on both sides of the entry. The bridge, built of stone, lime and sand, is about ten metres long and rests on a low arch with thick stops. It has been included in the additional inventory of historic monuments since 1980, then protected by decree in 1990.

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