Port-Anne
Port-Anne
Pòan | |
|---|---|
Capital city and parish | |
 Downtown Port-Anne | |
| Nickname(s): Le joyau "The Jewel" | |
| Country |  Saint-Baptiste |
| Founded | 1552 |
| Founded by | Fidélias Tétreault |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22 km2 (8 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 12,063 |
| • Density | 550/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
Port-Anne (Baptistois Creole: Pòan) is the capital of Saint-Baptiste and one of the country's six parishes.
Founded in 1552 by the explorer Fidélias Tétreault, Port-Anne was the first Auressian settlement on Saint-Baptiste, and has remained the economic, cultural, and political centre of Saint-Baptiste for over four centuries. During Saint-Baptiste's time as a colonial possession of Vervillia and later Blayk, Port-Anne became a important port for trade in the Rum Gulf, and became known as "the Jewel" of the region. Following the separation of Saint-Baptiste from Amandine in 1807, Port-Anne became the official administrative centre of the new colony of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The town faced a population boom in the early and mid-20th century, partially brought on by the Greats Wars and large-scale infrastructure projects that connected the rest of the island to Port-Anne and its environs. In 1947, with the independence of Saint-Baptiste, Port-Anne officially became the capital city and seat of government of the Baptistois government. Since the mid-20th century, tourism has been the main economic force in Port-Anne, as with the rest of Saint-Baptiste.
Port-Anne is coterminous with the parish of Sainte-Anne (Baptistois Creole: Sen An), the official name of the parish in which the city resides. The two names are often considered interchangeable, although Port-Anne is more commonly used in all but parish-level documents and discussion.
Geography
Port-Anne is located on the northeastern coast of Saint-Baptiste, nestled within the slopes of Mount Saint-Jean-Baptiste to the town's southwest. The city's harbourfront lies on Sainte-Anne Bay, a shallow coastal bay that borders most of the island's northern shore. The parish itself is primarily hilly, flattening out towards the coast.
History
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Port-Anne was the first Auressian settlement on Saint-Baptiste, being founded in 1552 by an expedition headed by Vervillian explorer Fidélias Tétreault. The initial colony was set up on the northeastern coast of the island, seen as an ideal spot for eliciting trade and protecting further Vervillian colonial incursions in the Rum Gulf, and soon became the main centre of Auressian colonial activity in the region by the end of the 16th century. During the period of cash crop monoculture, Port-Anne established itself as the main port for the exporting of coffee, sugar, and tobacco to Vervillia proper, and soon became the residence of a small group of influential merchants and planters from Auressia and Amandine, notable among them the Robiquet and Le Sueur families. The 18th century continued this economic boom in Saint-Baptiste, turning Port-Anne into an important port in both the trading of goods to Auressia and the trans-Hesperian slave trade. In 1785, Port-Anne, along with the rest of Saint-Baptiste, was peacefully transferred to the Grand Kingdom of Blayk. This relative tranquility and prosperity came to an abrupt end in 1801, when mainland Amandine revolted against the new republican regime in Blayk. Port-Anne was the centre of riots and an abortive attempt at Baptistois independence in May 1802 that left the settlement in a short but serious period of recession, partially due to a mass exodus of Amand merchants from the island.
Despite this downturn, Port-Anne successfully transitioned its local economy away from trade and toward tourism, particularly from the Blaykish upper class, partially by promoting the town as having a climate suitable for relaxation and improved medical health. This reliance on tourism grew during the 20th century, only shortly disrupted by the Second Great War from 1937 to 1943. During this time, Port-Anne became an important naval base in the Rum Gulf, and saw numerous military infrastructure projects built, such as the SB-A highway and Port-Anne International Air Force Base. In 1947, with the independence of Saint-Baptiste, Port-Anne officially became the capital and seat of the new Baptistois government, located primarily at the Place Rose complex.
The city's harbour front, constructed mainly between 1745 and 1766, reflected the colonial wealth of the Baptistois elite in the early Vervillian Colonial architecture of the city's manors and public buildings. A majority of the city was destroyed by Hurricane Irene in 1878, and as such the neighbourhood of Vieux-Port-Anne was rebuilt, becoming one of the most well-known examples of late 19th century Blaykish Colonial architecture in Marceaunia, even in the present day.
Demographics
Port-Anne is the largest town on Saint-Baptiste, with a population of 12,063 according to the 2020 census, or thirty-eight percent of the island's total population.
Communities
Although Saint-Baptiste does not recognize any settlement lower then the parish, Sainte-Anne Parish consists of two communities, Port-Anne itself and the village of Le Rocher (Baptistois Creole: Wòch). The city centre of Port-Anne is located on the coast, while the town of Le Rocher occupies the southwest of Sainte-Anne Parish's interior. Since the early 20th century and the growth of Port-Anne, the distinction between the two communities has blurred, and it is common to simply refer to the area as one large community.
Religion
Like the rest of Saint-Baptiste, the vast majority of Port-Anne's inhabitants are adherents of the Apostolic Church. The town is the seat of the [not!Bishop] of Sainte-Anne, who presides over the island's local Church from Saint James the Redeemer Church. Port-Anne is also the location of the Holy Independent Church, the only official non-denominational Perendist congregation in Saint-Baptiste.
Education
Port-Anne is the educational capital of Saint-Baptiste and a notable centre of education in the Rum Gulf, being home to both the University of Saint-Baptiste and Sacred Heart University. The Sainte-Anne Public School Board (Principean: Commission scolaire publique Sainte-Anne) also operates a secondary school and three primary schools in the parish. The privately funded Our Lady of Peace Collegiate is located in the neighbourhood of Le Rocher.
Transportation and tourism
Port-Anne is serviced by three main ingresses. The SB-A, Saint-Baptiste's only highway, connects the town to the rest of the island, while the Jean-Jacques Celice International Airport and Port-Anne's local cruise ship dock provide regular connection to the Marceaunian mainland.
With tourism being the primary economic industry in Port-Anne, the city has a number of hotels, inns, and tourist attractions. The Hôtel Royal, a luxury accommodation built in 1889, has become a notable location for historical Baptistois events and has become a symbol of Saint-Baptiste in the post-independence era. Other notable accommodations include Dumont Port-Anne, the Hôtel Alicois, and the Anne-West Resort.
Culture
Port-Anne has a vibrant cultural life despite its smaller size. The town hosts numerous festivals and events annually, and offers tourists and locals alike a lively nightlife. A notable section of the town is Old Port-Anne (Principean: Vieux Port-Anne), which has garnered a reputation for pubs and live music.
Sports
Port-Anne is the home city of FC Port-Anne, Saint-Baptiste's only professional association football club. FC Port-Anne's home turf is Samuel Lucy Stadium (commonly shortened to SL Stadium), an outdoor stadium that seats a capacity of 1,000 spectators. The SL Stadium is also often used for rugby and cricket matches. FC Port-Anne's players also typically make up the majority of the Saint-Baptiste national football team during international competitions.
Festivals
Every March, Port-Anne hosts Carnaval, a festival that includes parades, public performances, and street parties. Fèt Libète celebrations, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Baptistois in 1816, occurs in July, alongside the largest Saint-Baptiste Day parade on 1 July. Port-Anne also hosts the annual Rum Gulf Calypso Festival in January, a three-day music festival highlighting calypso music and its most successful artists.
