ABOUT ST. LUCIA...
Archeological research showed that St. Lucia was colonized in approximately year 500 before JC by the Arawak Amerindians, who arrived from South America.
Arawaks, populates of a peaceful nature did not resist on arrival of the Carib Amerindians who conquered the island about year 800 of our era. They baptized it Hewanorra, the island of the iguana, which is now the name of the International Airport in the south of the island.
The first real European presence on the island dates from the years 1550 with the arrival of the French filibuster, Francois the Clerk, called Leg-of-Wood, which settled in Pigeon Island.
From there, it watched for the passage of the heavy Spanish galleons which it attacked.
At the beginning of the XVII century the British tried two times to found without success, colonies in St. Lucia. |
Map of St. Lucia |
In 1651, the governor of Martinique sent a group of French orders by Mr. de Rousselan. This last settled on the west coast near Castries and immediately built a powerful fort protected by guns.
The 3 French governors who were able to direct the island after his death woud be killed. That motivated the English to set out again with the conquest of St. Lucia which thus changed hands from French to English 14 times in 150 years! The beauty of the island and its strategic importance were prime motivators for this battle.
In 1782, the admiral George Rondey launched a victorious attack on his French enemy. The hostilities continued to worsen and a great majority of the villages in the island were destroyed in the battle, including Castries, which burned down in 1796.
St. Lucia became officially English in 1814, after the fall of Napoleon, but the French - speaking influence still exists today.
The island became independent in 1979, and is a part of the Commonwealth.
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.:St. Lucia Travel Information:.
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