Citadelle Laferrière is a fortress.
Citadelle Laferrière . It is one of the largest fortresses in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) as a World Heritage Site in 1982 -- along with the nearby Sans-Souci Palace . The mountaintop fortress has itself become an icon of Haiti . The Citadel was built by Henri Christophe , a key leader during the Haitian slave rebellion ( 1791 -- 1804 ) , after Haiti gained independence from France at the beginning of the 19th century .