Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie was born here in 1763. As Joséphine, she was to become the wife of Napoleon I and empress of France from 1804 to 1809. Six years older than Napoleon, she pretended that she'd lost her birth certificate so he wouldn't find out her true age. Although many historians call her ruthless and selfish, she is still revered by some on Martinique as an uncommonly gracious lady. Others have less kind words for her -- Napoleon is said by some historians to have "reinvented" slavery and they cite Joséphine's influence.
Thirty kilometers (20 miles) south of Fort-de-France, you reach Les Trois-Ilets, a charming little village. Two kilometers (1 1/4 miles) outside the village, turn left to La Pagerie, where the small Musée de La Pagerie (tel. 596/68-34-55) has been installed in the former estate kitchen, where Joséphine gossiped with her slaves and played the guitar. Regrettably most of the other buildings associated with this once-thriving plantation were destroyed in a hurricane. Visitors today can see mementos of Josephine's childhood, including the bed she slept in as a teenager and a passionate letter from Napoléon. The collection was compiled by Dr. Robert Rose-Rosette. Still remaining are the partially restored ruins of the Pagerie sugar mill and the church (in the village itself) where she was christened in 1763. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30am to 12:30pm and 3 to 5pm. Admission is 5€ ($7) for adults, 1.50€ ($1.95) for children 5 to 12.
Modern artists and local potters banded together in 2005 to form a cooperative of shops, galleries, and studios at Trois-Ilets Pottery (tel. 596/63-03-44), at La Pagerie, next to the Musée de La Pagerie. You can shop for one-of-a-kind items such as a clay lamp hand painted in Creole colors.
Maison de la Canne, Pointe Vatable (tel. 596/68-32-04), is on the road to Trois-Ilets. Located on the premises of an 18th-century distillery, its permanent exhibitions tell the story of sugar cane and the sweeping role it played in the economic and cultural development of Martinique. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm, charging an admission of 3€ ($3.90) for adults, .75€ ($1) for children 5 to 12, and free for children under 5.
The Marina complex has a number of interesting boutiques; several sell handicrafts and curios from Martinique. They're sometimes of good quality, but are quite expensive, particularly the enameled jewel boxes and some of the batiks of natural silk.
