Jacmel

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The town was founded by the Compagnie de Saint-Domingue in 1698{{Cite web|title=iciHaiti – Jacmel : Celebrations of the patronal feast and the city's 322 years – iciHaiti.com : All the news in brief 7/7|url=https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-30671-icihaiti-jacmel-celebrations-of-the-patronal-feast-and-the-city-s-322-years.html|website=IciHaiti.com|access-date=2020-05-03}} as the capital of the southeastern part of the French colony Saint-Domingue. The area now called Jacmel was Taíno territory, part of the Xaragua chiefdom ruled by cacique Bohechio. With the arrival of the French, and the later establishment of the town, the French renamed Yaquimel as Jacmel.

The city was developed to boost sugar production and trade, but soon it evolved into a coffee trading centre. In 1896 it suffered a major fire that destroyed most of the buildings in the city. The city was rebuilt, often using prefabricated cast-iron pillars and balconies shipped from France. Many ornate mansions of wealthy coffee merchants from this time have been preserved up to this day without much change and the whole central part of the city has changed little over the last 100 years{{when|date=February 2016}}.

The mansions of Jacmel, with their cast-iron pillars and balconies, would later influence the homes in much of New Orleans. Today, many of these homes are now artisan shops that sell vibrant handicrafts, papier-mâché masks, and carved-wood animal figures. In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the once flourishing cigar and coffee industries. The town is a popular tourist destination in Haiti due to its relative tranquility and distance from the political turmoil that plagues Port-au-Prince.

Over the years, this rather small town experienced a number of noted historical events. Some of these occurrences are:

In 1791 and 1792, Romaine-la-Prophétesse led thirteen thousand rebels in besieging, occupying, and later burning Jacmel, and taking weapons and supplies from (and then burning) surrounding plantations from Marigot, about 25 kilometers east of Jacmel, to Bainet, about 45 kilometers west of it, freeing their slaves.Terry Rey, The Priest and the Prophetess: Abbé Ouvière, Romaine Rivière, and the Revolutionary Atlantic World (2017), pp. 14, 32–35, 48–49.

Toussaint Louverture fought over Jacmel in the War of the South between him and his fellow countryman André Rigaud, who wished to maintain authority over the city. This war began in June 1799. By November the rebels were pushed back to this strategic southern port, the defence of which was commanded by Alexandre Pétion. Jacmel fell to Toussaint's troops in February 1800. Pétion and other mulatto leaders subsequently went into exile in France.

A Venezuelan predecessor of Simón Bolívar in the liberation struggle against colonialism in Venezuelan and much of Spanish-ruled South America, Francisco de Miranda created the first flag of Gran Colombia near Jacmel, which served as the national flag of the First Republic of Venezuela. Anchored in the Bay of Jacmel (Baie de Jacmel), he first raised the flag on March 12, 1806, on the corvette Leander. This day is still celebrated as Venezuelan Flag Day. The general design of the Gran Colombian flag served as the model for the current flags of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, which emerged as independent nations at the breakup of Gran Colombia in 1830. This flag is often referred to as the "bandera madre" (mother flag) due to its role as inspiration and resemblance to the flags of Colombia and Ecuador.

Puerto Rican pro-independence leader Ramón Emeterio Betances spent a short interval in Jacmel in 1870, from where he gathered support for an uprising in the Dominican Republic, seeking to install a liberal government there. Then-president of Haiti, Nissage Saget supported Betances's ideals of a pan-Antillean union and gave the uprising his support.

The port town is internationally known for its very vibrant art scene and elegant townhouses dating from the 19th century. Among the wealth of art and crafts available in Jacmel are the papier-mâché, done by nearly 200 artisans and the renowned Atelier created by Moro Baruk. In recent years Jacmel has been host to a large film festival, called the Jacmel Film Festival, that started in 2004, and in 2007 the international Jacmel Music Festival was successfully launched as well. Its carnival, the nearby Bassin Bleu (Haiti's most famous natural deep pools), and the scenic white sand (Timouillage, Cabic, Raymond-les-bains, located primarily in Cayes-Jacmel) beaches attract many visitors. The town is regarded as one of the safest in the country, and foreign visitors that come to Haiti seeking tranquility often go for Jacmel. Its urbanization has been increasing in large part due to the income generated by tourism. Royal Caribbean, the leading tourism company whose cruise ships regularly dock at Labadee, plans to add stopovers at Jacmel. In February 2007, Edwin Zenny became the town's newly elected mayor. The current mayor is Marky Kessa. In addition, the Jacmel Film Festival is held there annually. On January 11, 2010, Choice Hotels announced they would open a 120-room Comfort Inn in Jacmel, the first chain hotel to be opened there in a decade.{{cite web |title=Chain Hotels Coming Back to Haiti |date=January 11, 2010 |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=9534520}}

{{main|2010 Haiti earthquake}}

On 12 January 2010, Haiti experienced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused heavy damage and casualties in Jacmel.[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rja6.php "Magnitude 7.0 – HAITI REGION"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603050654/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rja6.php |date=2011-06-03 }}, United States Geological Survey The first tremor rocked the city at 4:40 pm, but the later tremor at 5:37 pm stopped the cathedral's clock. A Jacmel radio station estimated that at least 5000 were dead from the quake itself, although mayor Edwin 'Edo' Zenny in later reported that the figure was closer to 300–500 deaths and 4,000 injured. About 70 per cent of the homes were damaged, with most of the heavier damage being in the poorer neighbourhoods.AFP, [http://www.mysinchew.com/node/34251 "In Haiti, the Jacmel cathedral clock stopped at 5:37 pm"], 20 January 2010 (accessed 20 January 2010) The town hall was so severely damaged that it had to be demolished.Leeder, Jessica (9 February 2010) [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/project-jacmel-blog/welcome-to-jacmel/article1463734/ "Welcome to Jacmel"], Globe and Mail. A small tsunami hit Jacmel Bay, with the ocean receding, leaving fish high and dry on the seabed, and rushing back in, four times.Kinzie, Susan (24 January 2010) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/23/AR2010012302632.html "In Jacmel, Haiti, parties give way to aftershocks and rescue missions"], Washington Post.

In December 2010, the Capponi Construction Group, a Miami-based construction company, decided to help with the revitalization of Jacmel.{{cite web|last=Fagenson|first=Zachary|title=Haiti's President huddles privately with developers in Miami|url=http://www.michaelcapponi.com/web/press_awards.php?id=266|work=article|publisher=Miami Today|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004174453/http://www.michaelcapponi.com/web/press_awards.php?id=266|archive-date=2011-10-04}}{{cite web|last=Adams|first=David|title=The Pied Piper of Jacmel|url=http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|work=Magazine|publisher=Poder|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909052610/http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|archive-date=2012-09-09}} This initiative was created to help stimulate a self-sustaining tourism economy for Haiti.{{cite web|title=The Pied Piper of Jacmel|url=http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|work=Poder Magazine|publisher=Poder|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909052610/http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|archive-date=2012-09-09}} Michael Capponi, founder of the Capponi Group, formed the [https://archive.today/20120728134546/http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/ Jacmel Advisory Council] to help revitalize Jacmel, while preserving its arts, culture and traditions.{{cite web|title=Jacmel Advisory Council|url=http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/|publisher=Discoveringhaiti.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728134546/http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/|archive-date=2012-07-28}} The board promotes best practices to provide a socio-economic system for thousands of Haitians living in the southeast region.{{cite web|last=Schaaf|first=Bryan|title=Envisioning a New Jacmel|url=http://www.haitiinnovation.org/en/2011/05/30/envisioning-new-jacmel|work=Haiti Innovation|publisher=haitiinnovation.com|access-date=May 29, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602010335/http://www.haitiinnovation.org/en/2011/05/30/envisioning-new-jacmel|archive-date=June 2, 2011}} Capponi Group Haiti is also restoring a 200-year-old coffee-sorting house at the port of Jacmel.{{cite web|title=New Haiti|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2069022|work=forum|publisher=Lonely Planet}} The project hopes to again make Jacmel a commercial and tourist center.{{cite web|last=Adams|first=David|title=Man with Plan, for Haiti|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/14/2265213/man-with-plan-for-haiti.html|work=Miami Herald|publisher=The Miami Herald|access-date=June 13, 2011}}

The city of Jacmel is famous for its carnival which is a month long celebration culminating the week before the national Haitian carnival. The carnival of Jacmel is notable for particular costumes and masks which blends everything from Haitian folklore legends and historical figures from the country's past to sports celebrities and political caricatures.{{Cite web |last=Lau |first=Anton |date=2023-03-24 |title=Meet the Colorful Characters From the Jacmel Carnival · Visit Haiti |url=https://visithaiti.com/art-culture/colorful-characters-costumes-jacmel-carnival/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=Visit Haiti |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-02-25 |title=The Carnival Masks of Jacmel, Haiti, Are a Papier-Maché Fever Dream |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/carnival-masks-of-jacmel-haiti |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Haselhoef |first=J. O. |date=2022-02-10 |title=Jacmel opens Carnival season with jubilance and cooperation |url=https://haitiantimes.com/2022/02/10/jacmel-opens-carnival-season-with-jubilance-and-cooperation/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=The Haitian Times |language=en-US}}

• René Depestre, a famous Haitian poet and essayist who fled from the Duvalier dictatorship. He was born in Jacmel. The city is the setting for much of his fictional work.
• Préfète Duffaut – painter
• Michaëlle Jean, Secretary-General of La Francophonie and former Governor General of Canada, was born in Port-au-Prince to a Jacmel family.{{in lang|fr}} Bourgault-Côté, Guillaume (18 January 2010) [https://www.ledevoir.com/international/amerique-latine/281314/haiti-les-soldats-canadiens-deployes-a-jacmel "Haïti: les soldats canadiens déployés à Jacmel"], Le Devoir
• Magloire Ambroise, hero of the struggle for independence
• Jørgen Leth, Danish filmmaker, writer and former Danish honorary consul in Haiti.
• Alexandre Grégoire, painter who typically depicted scenes of Vodou, daily life, and historical events in the naïve style.

The Port of Jacmel (HTJAK)World Port Source, [http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/HTI_Port_of_Jacmel_3273.php "HTJAK"] (accessed 24 January 2010) is a small, relatively shallow port and is unable to harbour large ships.Galloway, Gloria (19 January 2010) [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/haiti/canadas-big-task-in-haiti-starts-on-small-airstrip/article1436995/ "Canada's big task in Haiti starts on small airstrip"], Globe and Mail There is also a pleasurecraft dock as part of the port, which survived the quake.Stone, Deborah (22 February 2010) [http://www.nwnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=922:matching-good-deeds-to-worthy-needs&catid=34:news&Itemid=72 "Matching good deeds to worthy needs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330040257/http://www.nwnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=922:matching-good-deeds-to-worthy-needs&catid=34:news&Itemid=72 |date=2010-03-30 }}, Woodinville Weekly It is run by the Autorité Portuaire Nationale.

Also located in Jacmel is a small airstrip (MTJA)World Aero Data, {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120724104904/http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=HA86042&sch=MTJA "MTJA"]}} (accessed 24 January 2010) capable of handling small to medium-sized planes. The airstrip is unable to handle large aircraft.

Jacmel has two hospitals, Hôpital Saint-Michel and the "Complexe Médico Chirurgical Rose Marie Paul" recently founded by the philanthropist Dr. Leon Paul, and becomes the highest equipped surgery center in the city, with highly qualified international and national professionals. The "Hôpital Saint-Michel" which locals had nicknamed "the morgue" prior to the earthquake. The hospital is the largest hospital or health centre in the region. It has a staff of six doctors and ten nurses. The quake half-collapsed the hospital, including the maternity ward;Rhoads, Christopher (19 January 2010) [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703626604575011490491571642?mod=googlenews_wsj "Smaller Towns Struggle As Help Is Slow to Arrive"], Wall Street JournalKinzie, Susan (20 January 2010) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011904456.html "Virginia medical team reaches Haitian city, begins to treat patients"], Washington Post however, the hospital continues to operate.{{in lang|fr}} Duriez, René (27 January 2010) [http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/Locales/Montreuil/actualite/Secteur_Montreuil/2010/01/27/article_medecin-et-pompier-professionnel-a-berck.shtml "Médecin et pompier professionnel à Berck"], La Voix du Nord The radiology department was the only undamaged portion of the hospital.{{in lang|fr}} IRIN (2 February 2010), [http://www.irinnews.org/fr/ReportFrench.aspx?ReportId=87948 "HAÏTI: Les craintes d’un tremblement de terre persistent"]

Jacmel had a civil court building, which was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.{{in lang|fr}} Metropole Haiti (5 February 2010), [http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=16853 "Le système judiciaire paralysé trois semaines après le séisme"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323032747/http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=16853 |date=2016-03-23 }}.

The town's main square is Place Toussaint Louverture, named after the Haitian revolutionary leader.LaFranchi, Howard (29 January 2010) [http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2010/0129/Haiti-earthquake-jolts-a-million-city-dwellers-to-head-for-home "Haiti earthquake jolts a million city-dwellers to head for 'home'"], Christian Science Monitor

• {{flagicon|United States}} Gainesville, Florida, United States

Jacmel has cooperative agreements with:

• {{flagicon|France}} Strasbourg, France since 1996 (Coopération décentralisée)

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Portal|Haiti}}

• [https://visithaiti.com/destinations/jacmel-city-guide/ Jacmel City Website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170926085749/http://jacmelchamber.org/ Official Chamber of Commerce Website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090301052502/http://festivalfilmjakmel.com/ Festival Film Jakmèl]

{{2010 Haiti earthquake}}

{{Communes of Haiti}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in Sud-Est (department)

Category:Communes of Haiti

Category:Ports and harbours of Haiti

Category:Populated places established in 1698

Category:1698 establishments in the French colonial empire

Category:Port cities in the Caribbean

Category:Populated places established in 1504