Gourbeyre
Encyclopedia
Gourbeyre is a commune in the French
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
, in the Lesser Antilles
. It is a suburb of the city of Basse-Terre
.
The commune
of Gourbeyre was in the past a pivotal point in the defense of Guadeloupe's Basse-Terre Island
.
Charles Houël was named governor in 1648 and immediately began the construction of the Fort of Saint Charles on the right bank of the Galleon River. This moved the seat of government. The Fort (renamed Fort Delgrès in 1989) was placed to resist the attack of the English by providing cover for French ships.
Gourbeyre had some military importance due to its mountainous topography. The area was considered to be impregnable during the English attacks of 1691 and 1703. Colonists were attracted to settle in Gourbeyre because of trading opportunities and in view of the protection provided against English attacks for residents in Gourbeyre.
Very serious events occurred in the commune of Gourbeyre, particularly in Dolé village, with the revolt of Delgrès opposed to the Richepanse general, sent by Napoleon. In January 1838, a new municipal organization detached the commune of Gourbeyre, from Basse-Terre.
In 1843, a terrible earthquake
destroyed the area. The governor admiral of Gourbeyre was instrumental in reconstructing the area.
After a fire in 1955, and hurricanes in 1964 and 1979, a new building was built here in 1986 to house the departmental records and historical private papers important to the history of the island. It also hosts researchers, students and personalities.
and southwest of the Soufrière volcano. Gourbeyre is near a river and located on the N1 highway. Gourbeyre is at the crossing point between the windward and the leeward shores.
, coffee
and banana
s are grown in the mountains and a sugar factory produces sugar at the river's estuary. Cattle rearing is also done.
Historical and natural sites brings tourists to Gourbeyre. Also a marina is down at the shoreline, nearby Basse-Terre.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. It is a suburb of the city of Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
.
The commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Gourbeyre was in the past a pivotal point in the defense of Guadeloupe's Basse-Terre Island
Basse-Terre Island
Basse-Terre Island is the name of the western-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. It is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe proper, Grande-Terre, by a narrow sea channel called the Rivière Salée ....
.
Government
From 1640 to 1643 the government of Guadeloupe consisted entirely of governor Aubert. The governor's house is regarded as the most beautiful in the commune of Gourbeyre.Charles Houël was named governor in 1648 and immediately began the construction of the Fort of Saint Charles on the right bank of the Galleon River. This moved the seat of government. The Fort (renamed Fort Delgrès in 1989) was placed to resist the attack of the English by providing cover for French ships.
Colonisation
"Montagne Saint-Charles et du Palmiste" was the name given for the Gourbeyre commune up to the 17th century. Through the 18th century it was an important capital in colonial France.Gourbeyre had some military importance due to its mountainous topography. The area was considered to be impregnable during the English attacks of 1691 and 1703. Colonists were attracted to settle in Gourbeyre because of trading opportunities and in view of the protection provided against English attacks for residents in Gourbeyre.
Religion
Many religious communities settled in the commune of Gourbeyre. By 1650 monks had obtained the rights to cultivate the land and in the cases of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Jesuits had turned to cultivation of sugar plantations and the refining of sugar. In Bisdary the Jesuits were vested with 250 hectares of sugar cane which was cultivated and maintained by up to 400 slaves.Further history
At the beginning of the 19th century, the commune of Gourbeyre had 461 whites, 3418 slaves and 168 of other races.Very serious events occurred in the commune of Gourbeyre, particularly in Dolé village, with the revolt of Delgrès opposed to the Richepanse general, sent by Napoleon. In January 1838, a new municipal organization detached the commune of Gourbeyre, from Basse-Terre.
In 1843, a terrible earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
destroyed the area. The governor admiral of Gourbeyre was instrumental in reconstructing the area.
After a fire in 1955, and hurricanes in 1964 and 1979, a new building was built here in 1986 to house the departmental records and historical private papers important to the history of the island. It also hosts researchers, students and personalities.
Geography
Gourbeyre is located east of the city Basse-TerreBasse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
and southwest of the Soufrière volcano. Gourbeyre is near a river and located on the N1 highway. Gourbeyre is at the crossing point between the windward and the leeward shores.
Economy
Crops such as cocoaChocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s are grown in the mountains and a sugar factory produces sugar at the river's estuary. Cattle rearing is also done.
Historical and natural sites brings tourists to Gourbeyre. Also a marina is down at the shoreline, nearby Basse-Terre.
Sights
- Center observatory of Soufrière
- Departmental records of Guadeloupe
- Marina of Sens River
- Warm baths of the village of Dolé
Notable residents
- Lucette Michaux-Chevry, (born 1929), former mayoress of Gourbeyre and Basse-TerreBasse-TerreBasse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
.