I could not even imagine that such a grandiose structure could be located in Haiti.
In the first half of the 19th century, a small kingdom existed for a short time on the island of Haiti, where in its entire history there was only one king, Henri Christophe. In the nine years of the kingdom of Haiti, he created a police force, a regular army, adopted a constitution, and even formed an aristocracy composed of blacks. Henri Christophe in such a short time was able to build several castles and 8 palaces. The king managed to leave a significant mark in history, which not only Haitians, but the whole of America can boast of.
Today it is the property of the country and the people of Haiti, and it is called the Citadelle Laferriere or its other name is the citadel of Henri Christophe.
The gigantic citadel of Laferrière was built as the residence of the king, as well as to protect the kingdom from possible French invasion. The fortress is located in northern Haiti, on a mountaintop, 27 kilometers from the city of Cap Haitien. The citadel was so impressed by the appearance of UNESCO representatives that, together with the dilapidated palace of Sanssouci, Laferrière was included in the World Heritage List in 1982.
But instead of a French invasion that never happened, King Henry had reason to fear his own people. He was an unpopular despotic monarch, whose feudal policy of using forced slave labor did not suit the population. In 1820, shortly after the completion of the Citadel, King Henry, 53, committed suicide by shooting himself with a silver bullet and not waiting for a coup and murder. Loyal followers buried the king in one of the Citadel's courtyards to discourage desecration of the body.
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The massive stone structure was erected by 20,000 workers between 1805 and 1820. as part of a system of fortifications designed to defend the newly independent state of Haiti in the event of a French invasion. The citadel was supposed to contain the attack and provide surveillance of the nearby valleys. Cap Haitien and the closest Atlantic Ocean can be seen from the roof of the fortress, and on clear days, the east coast of Cuba can be seen, 140 km to the west.
The Haitians supplied the fortress with 365 guns of various calibers. Huge reserves of cannonballs are still piled up in pyramids at the base of the fortress walls. Since its construction, the fort has withstood numerous earthquakes, and there has never been a French attack. In the event of an invasion, the military had to burn valuable crops and food supplies along the coast, and then retreat to the fortress, setting up ambushes along the only mountain path leading to the citadel.
The colossal physical size of the fortification made it a Haitian national symbol featured on currency, stamps and travel posters. The fortress walls rise 40 m from the top of the mountain, the whole complex, excluding the adjacent territory, occupies an area of 10,000 sq.m. Workers embedded the large base stones of the fortress directly into the rock of the mountaintop using a mortar mix that included quicklime, molasses, hooves, and the blood of local cows and goats for toughness and extra strength.
The large tanks and warehouses in the fortress were designed to store enough food and water for 5,000 defenders for up to one year. The fortress has apartments for the king and his family, baths and bakery ovens.
The citadel resembles the bow of a huge stone ship sticking out of the mountainside. Its structure is angular and looks different depending on the vantage point. Some of the corners of the fortress were deliberately designed to deflect cannonballs in the event of an attack. Although most of the structure does not have a roof per se (the interior floors are lattice stone walkways), some of the sloping sections are decorated with bright red tiles. The fortress has been renovated and restored several times since its construction, including in the 1980s with the help of UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund, but no changes were made.
Most of the inner part of the citadel is accessible to visitors, you can climb the numerous stairs to the roof of the fortress. In one of the courtyards of the fort there is the grave of Henri I, whose body was buried by his associates after a suicide.
Today, the Laferrière citadel is an iconic figure and place for the entire country. The fact is that the Haitians are very proud of the fortress, because it is considered the largest fortification in the entire Western Hemisphere. The Republic of Haiti is one of the most undeveloped countries in the world, so the citadel plays a huge role in the development of tourism in the country. Laferrière has become a national symbol of Haiti, which is featured on currency, government stamps, and many travel posters.
The defensive capabilities of the Citadel Laferrier never had to be tested, and its guns never fired.