Our Sister City
JACMEL
The city was founded in 1698 as the capital of the south eastern part of the French colony Saint-Domingue. The area now called Jacmel was Taíno territory 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 has not changed much since the late 19th century when the town was inhabited by wealthy coffee merchants, who lived in gracious mansions that adorned the town. These mansions would later come to influence the home structure of much of New Orleans; the architecture of the city boasted cast iron pillars and balconies purchased in France. 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.
Modern Jacmel prior to the 12 January 2010 earthquakeThe port town is internationally known for its very vibrant art scene and elegant townhouses dating to the 19th century. In recent years Jacmel has been host to a large film festival, the 'Festival Film Jakmèl' started in 2004 and in 2007 the international music festival 'Festival Mizik Jakmèl' was successfully launched. Its carnival, the nearby Bassins Bleu (Haiti's most famous natural deep water pools), and the scenic white sand beaches attract many visitors. The port city is regarded as one of the safest cities in the country and many incoming foreigners that enter the country in hope of a tranquil time, often head for Jacmel. Jacmel's urbanization has been increasing in large part due to economic finance generated through tourism. Royal Caribbean, the leasing tourism company whose cruise ships regularly dock at Labadee, plans to add stopovers to Jacmel. In February 2007, Edwin Zenny became the city's newly elected mayor. In addition, the Jacmel Film Festival is held their annually.
For more more information regarding the post-earthquake status of Jacmel, click HERE.
Jacmel
