Bagatelle

Bagatelle is a village in the Saint Patrick Parish of Dominica. It was first inhabited by the Amerindians of South America before the arrival of the French. The Amerindians who arrived by boat fished in the shallow waters surrounding the village, and also grew manioc and other food crops in the valley and nearby hills.

The native Kalinagos called the village Malabuca, but the French changed the name to Bagatelle. The community is made up of four hamlets which are –

• Bagatelle
• Fond St. Jean
• Pointe Caribe
• Fab

The entire community started as a farming settlement, with the people growing coffee, sugar-cane, and limes. Slaves imported from Africa worked the farms under for their owners who owned large estates and expanses of land. Some of the early estate owners who also owned slaves include V.J. Jolly, St. Rose Munier, H. Ellisonde, G.J. Herbert, C.S. Lockhart, A.S. Hilaire, A.C.S. Shillingford, and George Whitfield among others.

Bagatelle was hit by a natural disaster in September 1977 when whole villages were swept away by a massive landslide occasioned by a heavy rainfall. Then Hurricane David struck in 1979 and many houses were destroyed and several lives lost. However, the government has rebuilt the community and in later years even reinforced it against natural events.

Today, Bagatelle has a school, a Roman Catholic Church, and a fishery facility.

In 2013, the Dominican government approved that the Heritage Day celebrations held annually to commemorate the country’s independence be held in Bagatelle. There was a church service, cultural gala, product exhibitions, and sashing of elders, as well as recognition awards for community activists. The event was attended by President Charles Savarin and his wife, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, and notable members of the Cabinet.