User:Atcovi/French/The Pirate Cemetery

The Pirate Cemetery, a spectacular site located in Analanjarifo, Ile Sainte-Marie, Madagascar, is definitely a site for the bucket list! This cemetery is not only just an ordinary cemetery, but it is one of the world's most interesting--since it is the only private graveyard in the world! Many pirates, such as Adam Baldridge, William Kidd, etc., (and possibly their families as well) are known to set their bones on this island. Many pirates liked this island as it was perfect for hiding ships [of pirates] and protecting [their ships] from storms/possibly other pirates.

When the French took over the island, the pirates left the island. The French took over the island in the 1700s. A rumor spreads about that a "utopia", known as the "Republic of Libertalia", existed--but it has never been proven to exist. In 1733, a map written by John de Bry was discovered to identify the location of three pirate shipwrecks [on the island].

Although the island is a reminder of the violent pirates that used to lurk around the 7 blue seas, the island is open to the public and is, weirdly, peaceful.

The sources I used for this research paper were https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-pirate-cemetery and https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/06/22/pirate-cemetery-madagascar-worlds-%D0%BEnly-pirate-graveyard/.