Cachot de Cyparis, Prison cell in Saint-Pierre, Martinique.

Cachot de Cyparis is a small vaulted stone cell in the eastern part of the Saint-Pierre prison ruins, on Rue de la Prison. Built in the mid-17th century, it has a rectangular plan, a single wooden door with a small barred opening, and walls of rough andesite blocks. It stands at the back of a courtyard a few metres from a basin.

On May 8, 1902, the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed Saint-Pierre, but prisoner Louis-Auguste Cyparis survived inside this cell. The thick walls and confined space provided protection from the extreme heat and force of the disaster.

The cell reflects how colonial-era buildings are preserved as places of memory in Martinique today. Walking past it, you notice how even small structures mark important chapters in local history.

The cell sits on Rue de la Prison in central Saint-Pierre and is open year-round with no entry fee. Since it is a small, outdoor monument, you can visit at your own pace whenever you pass through the area.

Cyparis was not the only person to survive the eruption, but he is generally considered the sole survivor of the disaster in Saint-Pierre. He owed his life to the cell's position at the foot of Morne Abel, almost against the eastern prison wall, with its few openings facing southwest, away from the glowing cloud that moved from north to south. The blast and the burning gases therefore spared him. Rescuers from Le Morne-Rouge heard his calls on May 11 and cleared the entrance.