The People's House (Guadeloupe, Les Saintes)

In Guadeloupe, Creole town halls are much more than just administrative buildings: they are symbols of history, citizenship, and local resilience . The town hall of Terre-de-Haut, nestled in the heart of the Saintes archipelago, is a shining example: traditional Caribbean architecture , colorful, neat, framed by palm trees and blue earthenware pots.

But behind its charming facade lies a much deeper story. Few people remember that the French Antilles were the first territories to abolish slavery in 1794 , before Napoleon brutally reinstated it in 1802. From then on, the town hall became a central figure of law and liberty : it embodied republican continuity in territories long dominated.

Through civil status archives, municipal deliberations, and local festivals , the small town halls of the overseas territories document a living memory, a democracy on a human scale. They are the homes of the people—and sometimes, the last places where people still believe in the promise of the Republic.

This photograph was selected by the prestigious international gallery 1X.com, which recognizes works for their aesthetic and documentary value.