La Savane des esclaves, Historical heritage site in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique.

La Savane des esclaves is a private open-air site in Les Trois-Îlets where Gilbert Larose rebuilt an "Antan Lontan" village modelled on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its entrance gate, two carved wooden heads on the posts, bears the name in raised letters; behind it stand plank-walled huts with palm-frond thatched roofs, a large carbet, a cassava hut and a Creole garden. Since December 2008 sculptures by Narcisse Ranarison have been added.

The founder Gilbert Larose created this space to document 400 years of Martinique's history, starting from the Kalinago people through the colonial period. This educational project preserved the memory of different chapters in the island's past.

The reconstructed dwellings are modelled on late 19th and early 20th century Martinican houses. One case explains pressing cane with a rudimentary press, another grinding cacao seeds into chocolate, and another presents aromatic plants. The creole garden is cultivated without fertiliser or pesticides, in the old manner, and holds many medicinal plants and rare fruit trees.

The visit takes you along open grounds with pathways between the reconstructed buildings. Wear comfortable shoes and bring sun protection, as there is little shade throughout the site.

The site's name is misleading: Gilbert Larose states it is not mainly devoted to slavery but to the island's natural advantages and heritage. He also drew a comic book, "L'histoire de Martinique", to reach wider audiences with the island's story from the Arawaks to the abolition of slavery.