Le Marron Inconnu

Le Marron Inconnu is a bronze monument in downtown Port-au-Prince depicting a kneeling man holding a conch shell to his lips and a machete at his feet, with broken chains around his ankle. The roughly 2.4 meter-tall work stands across from the former National Palace.

Albert Mangonès created this monument in 1967 to honor the successful slave revolt that led to Haiti's independence from France in 1804. The work emerged as the nation reflected on its path to freedom, decades after independence had been achieved.

The statue honors marronage, the escape of enslaved people from plantations, which became central to Haitian identity and resistance. It speaks to a practice that continues to shape how the society understands itself.

The monument stands in the downtown area across from the former National Palace and is open to the public. The location sits in an active part of the city where it is easily walkable, though visitors should remain aware of their surroundings as is typical for this neighborhood.

The United Nations selected this monument in 1989 as a symbol for stamps commemorating Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This international recognition made it a rare Haitian work with global visibility.

Location: Port-au-Prince

Inception: September 22, 1967

Creator: Albert Mangonès

Height: 2.4 m

Made from material: bronze

GPS coordinates: 18.54514,-72.33816

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:45