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The original city plans called for a green area set in the center of town, surrounded by public and religious buildings to include a cathedral, the governor's palace for the king's representatives, the city hall, and the court of justice. Wars, pestilence, and poverty intervened, and only a cathedral and city hall were built. Catedral Basilica Menor de Santa Maria, Primada de America Facing Parque Colón on the south, this beautiful cathedral is the oldest church in the Americas and was built on the orders of Real Miguel de Pasamonte. Its buildings, walkways, gardens, and quarters take up most of a city block. Diego Columbus set the first stone of the cathedral in 1514, but the real construction didn't get under way until around 1520 because the original Spanish architect left Santo Domingo to build another cathedral in Mexico. The financing of the building was left in the hands of the Bastidas, a wealthy church family, and the building was finally completed in 1544 by Rodrigo de Bastida's son, who was a bishop of the church and financed the construction out of his own pocket. The bell tower, which was to dominate the old city, has never been completed. Because construction of the cathedral was so slow and involved so many architects, the structure itself features gothic and Spanish Renaissance facades with baroque ornamentation. If you look closely, you can see a gothic vault, a Renaissance facade, and Romanesque arches. From the outside, the cathedral looks rather imposing with its heavy gray stone and squat appearance. As you walk around the cathedral you'll notice the Gate of Pardons (north, facing Parque Colón), which is a gothic entrance. The main portal is called St. Peter's Gate. It has an impressive double arch, with a unique frieze combining gargoyles and other mythical figures. The niches on each side of this main door supposedly once contained figures of St. Peter, St. Paul, and four other apostles; all were taken away by Sir Francis Drake. The inside of the cathedral is quite restful, even elegantly dramatic, with a number of small chapels, life-size wooden animals, an abstract Jesus in the manger, and stained-glass windows crafted by Rincon Mora, a Dominican artist. The beautiful mahogany altar dates from 1684; after being allowed to deteriorate over many years, it's being restored and cleaned. As the story goes, for years the remains of Columbus himself were housed in this cathedral, kept in a white marble and bronze memorial built by the dictator Ulises Heureaux in 1898. Later, they were transferred to the Faro a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse) across the Ozama River. A long history of anthropological and historical wrangling has failed to settle where the actual remains of the Admiral came to rest, but it's nice to think they're in Santo Domingo. There is no charge to visit the cathedral, but you won't be allowed in if you're wearing shorts. Generally, the cathedral is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. South of the Cathedral On the south side of the cathedral is a tiny street called Calle Arturo Pellerano Alfau, which crosses Arzobispo Nouel and was perhaps the first pedestrian path in Santo Domingo. As you pass along the Alfau, just across Calle Isabel La Catolica you'll see the Casa Diego Caballero and Casa Sacramento. The first of these houses was constructed in 1523. The second was home to many important colonial figures, including Alonso de Fuenmayor, responsible for the completion of the city walls and the construction of many buildings in the middle of the 16th century. The facade of the Casa Diego Caballero is distinguished by two square towers. The inside has galleries composed of solid stone arches. On the west side of Parque Colón is what remains of the original city hall, built in the 16th century and now part of the Banco de Trabajadores (Worker's Bank), with a huge tower known as El Vivaque. This building also contains a jail and police station. On the east side of Parque Colón is the Palacio de Borgella, which dates from the 19th century and was once the seat of executive power, now housing administrative offices and a small and convenient post office. Heading east from the cathedral, either down Calle Conde or between Casa Diego Caballero and Casa Sacramento, will bring you to one of the most truly dramatic and historic thoroughfares in the western hemisphere. Not originally designed for common pedestrian traffic, the Calle de las Damas was a regal and imperial promenade and is today lined with carefully restored colonial buildings of great significance. The Fortazela Ozama Very near the river in the far southeastern corner of the Colonial District is the Fortazela Santo Domingo (Fortress of Santo Domingo), site of the Toree del Homenaje (Tower of Homage) and the Fortazela Ozama (Ozama Fortress), open Tuesday-Sunday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., admission about RD$6). These dual forts and the somber tower sit on a bluff overlooking the conjunction of the Ozama River and the Caribbean Sea and were built by Governor Nicolás de Ovando in 1503, making this the oldest military building complex in the Americas. It was on these grounds, in the warden's lodge, that Diego Columbus lived when he first arrived in Santo Domingo with his wife, and it was here that Trujillo housed some of his many political prisoners. The tower is a wonderful place from which to watch a Caribbean sunset at about six o'clock in the evening. The grounds, too, are restful and impart an eerie sense of antiquity. On the grounds stands a statue of Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, famous military historian of the New World. When you buy tickets to the fortress, several young men will approach you as guides. They generally provide congenial and competent service and seem to take great pride in both their own work and the historical context of their city. Around the corner from the fortress, facing the Caribbean Sea on George Washington Avenue, stands a large black statue of Antonio Montesino, one of the earliest of 16th-century defenders of the Taino Indians. From Santo Domingo, he appealed to the Spanish government for justice to the Indians. This is another good spot to do both sunrise and sunset. Calle de las Damas In front of the fortress complex runs the beautiful Calle de las Damas. Built in 1502, it's the oldest street in the hemisphere. This street runs north and south for perhaps half a mile and is one of the most pleasant and historic walks in the Colonial District. This street became the "walk of the ladies" because Diego Columbus' wife, Maria de Toledo (a niece of King Ferdinand), established the habit of walking down this street to Mass accompanied by the noble wives. Just to the north of the fortress is the Casa de Bastidas, with an 18th-century plaque on the right wall and an 18th-century stone sculpture of Santa Barbara on the roof above the gate. This large home and the enclosed courtyard inside was the residence of Rodrigo de Bastidas, conquistador, explorer, and governor of Santa María (now Colombia). Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, the spacious courtyard is graced by Romanesque arches and houses and several beautifully appointed art galleries. A gift shop operates just inside the entrance. At times, concerts and parties are held in the courtyard, some open to the public. Proceeding along Calle de las Damas to the north, at the corner of El Conde you'll find the former house of the explorer/conqueror of Mexico, Hernan Cortes. Built in gothic style by Governor Ovando in 1503, the Casa de Cortes currently houses the French Cultural Alliance, which runs a small gift shop and quite often displays modern art from the Dominican Republic. On the same side of the street as the Casa de Cortes are several art and gift shops where you can buy tasteful cards and souvenirs. Perhaps the most impressive historical structure on the Calle de las Damas is the Hostal Nicolás de Ovando, an early 16th-century mansion built by Governor Ovando, once split into two houses for Ovando himself and the Davila family. Now, however, the residence is an excellent hotel. You are welcome to go inside and have a look around. Most unusual is the gothic portal, a rare architectural feature. Although nobody knows for sure where Columbus himself lived when he governed Santo Domingo from fall 1498 to 1500, it is certain he was a guest in the Nicolás de Ovando house. Panteón Nacional and Casa de Gargoyles Nearly across the street from the Hostal Nicolás de Ovando is the Panteón Nacional. Originally the Convento de San Ignacio de Loyola, a Jesuit convent, the pantheon was later a tobacco warehouse, then a theater. Now, heroes and public figures are buried there. Built in 1747, the convent was restored as the pantheon in 1955 by Trujillo, who made elaborate, but unfulfilled, plans to have himself interred there (he wound up in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris). Look up and you'll see an impressive copper chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was donated by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Just around the corner from the pantheon is the weird Casa de Gargoyles, which now houses the Dominican Development Foundation. Here you can see the gargoyles which were once part of the structure of the cathedral. Next door to the house of gargoyles is the Casa de los Jesuitas. Made of brick and stone, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Governor Ovando originally ordered its construction. In 1701, it was given to Jesuits, who used it as a college. It became a full-fledged university in 1747. Twenty years later, in 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from the Dominican Republic, and the building was given to the Crown. Across the street stands the lovely Capilla de los Remedios (Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies). The earliest residents of the colony attended mass in its stark and simple interior before construction of the cathedral was completed. The chapel is open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Small musical groups occasionally perform in the chapel, whose acoustics are perfect for quartets and trios. Museo de las Casas Reales Just across the way from the Capilla de los Remedios is the Museo de las Casas Reales (Museum of the Royal Houses), one of the finest small museums in the whole Caribbean. Located on the corner of Calle de las Mercedes, the museum charges a small entry fee of about RD$20 and is open Tues.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (closed Monday). The building is the restored 16th-century palace of the Spanish Governor's Royal Court and is a delightfully cool and spacious place to spend a few hours viewing an excellent collection of artifacts from the colonial period, including maps of sea voyages, paintings, restored court rooms, carriages, and treasure from sunken ships. The museum also houses a fantastic collection of weapons from many countries, originally put together by Trujillo. One of Trujillo's offices was originally here as well. One of the more interesting features of the museum is its apothecary shop and collection of dolls and handblown glass. The museum was inaugurated in 1976 by President Balaguer, in company with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. As you walk north, away from the museum, you'll see a sundial built in 1753, positioned in order that the judges seated in the court across the way could always tell the time. Alcázar de Colón and La Ataranza Standing at the sundial, you're almost on the Plaza de Maria Toledo (named for King Ferdinand's niece), which overlooks both the two-story rectangular Alcázar de Colón and La Ataranza, first commercial center of the New World. The Alcazar is closed on Tuesday but is open every other weekday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For a modest admission charge of RD$12, you'll see a magnificent restoration of what was once a crumbling relic, originally built in 1510-1514 by order of Diego Columbus. Inside is a Viceregal Museum featuring an armored knight on a wooden horse, antique pottery, furniture, musical instruments, and tapestries. Of course, not many of the relics and antiques date from the early colonial period-most are imports from later Spanish centuries-but the Alcázar nevertheless provides the visitor with an authentic look and feel. From the second story, you can get a good view of the Ozama River, the Columbus Lighthouse, and the whole colonial environment. You can almost imagine it as the residence of Diego, who was called back to Spain in 1523, in part because of his self-indulgence. His descendants continued to occupy the building as a residence until the early 18th century. The grounds of the Alcázar are beautifully maintained, leading down in back to the Puerta de San Diego (Gate of St. James), which was, for many years, the original gate of the old city. Here you can see a section of the old wall, originally built in 1571 to protect the city from attack along the river. Directly across from the Alcázar is La Ataranza, eight 16th-century warehouses on brick foundations. Today these architecturally unique buildings function as shops, restaurants, and bars: Drake's Café, Montesinos, Nancy's, Rita's Café, and the Museo de Jamon. La Ataranza is a good place to pull up a chair under an umbrella and enjoy a cold drink. If you proceed north and walk down a flight of steps from the Alcázar, you'll find yourself across from the 17th-century Ataranzas Gate and directly in front of the Museo de las Ataranzas, sometimes called the Museo Maritimo (Shipyard Museum). This museum attempts to tell the story of many of the most famous shipwrecks along the Dominican coast and the efforts to recover treasure from them. In particular, the museum houses recovered treasure from the wrecks Guadeloupe and Conde de Tolosa (wrecked off Samaná in 1724), known as the "quicksilver galleons" because they were carrying mercury with which to refine silver and gold. The museum is filled with enchanting finds including clay pipes, brandy bottles, fused coins, pottery shards, Ming Dynasy porcelain, and contraband cargo like an eight-day clock made in London. The museum is closed on Wednesday but otherwise open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-1p.m. Near the museum are some shady areas, restaurants, and a public parking area where parking is sometimes available (though it's crowded). Casa del Cordón Just around the corner from La Ataranza and near the Palacio de Comunicaciones (an ugly green building and television tower you can't fail to see) is the Casa del Cordón (House of Cord), located on Calle Isabel la Católica at the corner of Calle Tejera. Although the House of Cord is quite plain, it is historically significant as, allegedly, the oldest stone building in the Americas. Above the entrance is the sash or cord, a symbol for the Franciscan order. Now the building is occupied by a commercial bank, which will allow you to visit during normal business hours. Before moving into his official residence, Diego Columbus lived here with his wife, and here were born two of his children. This is also the place where the women of Santo Domingo lined up to surrender their jewelry to Sir Francis Drake in 1586 during his sack of the city. Business hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and tours are free. Museo de Juan Pablo Duarte One block north of the Casa del Cordón is the Museo de Juan Pablo Duarte. Duarte, the hero of the fight for independence, was born here on January 26, 1813 (open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-noon and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-noon, admission RD$12). The museum has a representative sampling of belongings and mementos but is otherwise architecturally uninspiring. It's worth a short visit. If you continue to walk uphill (north), you will come to the Iglesia Santa Bárbara (Santa Barbara Church and Fort), at the corner of Calle Isabel la Católica and Avenida Mella, one of the large shopping and commercial streets bordering the Colonial District. The church was constructed in 1562 and combines numerous architectural styles, including gothic and baroque. Take a peek inside if you can. Ruinas San Francisco If you walk back downhill and look up and to the right, you'll see the ruins of the monastery called San Francisco on Calle Hostos. The Ruinas San Francisco are just that-ruins. This old monastery was built during the 16th century and destroyed by an earthquake in 1673. Dating from 1508, the grounds originally contained three connected buildings, including the chapel of Maria de Toledo (Diego's wife). Over the centuries the monastery was sacked by Drake, destroyed by a 1751 hurricane, and used as an insane asylum after 1881. You can see the chains used to secure the "patients." During the Spanish Civil War, artists took refuge within its walls, and, as legend has it, the remains of Bartholemew Columbus are buried here. The ruins are open every day, generally about 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with no admission charge. Although there isn't much to the ruins except ancient crumbling walls and some inner chambers, it still exudes an echo of the past, and the grounds are a nice place to rest in the shade. Set on a hill surrounded by an authentic Santo Domingan neighborhood, there's something very relaxing about the environment. Just up from the ruins is the Ermita San Anton (at Calle Hostos at the corner of Calle Restauración), built in 1586. Hospital de San Nicolás de Bari Headed downhill on Calle Hostos you'll walk along a high sidewalk with an iron railing. This area, with its modest homes and shops, is very pleasant and, looking down, you'll see the impressive ruins of the Hospital de San Nicolás de Bari, built by order of Governor Ovando in 1503-1508 to care for the poor and needy of the new city. Totally complete by 1552, the hospital was one of the best constructed buildings in the city and survived almost intact until 1911, when its walls were idiotically condemned and demolished as a danger to pedestrians. Even though the buildings are gone, see if you can make out the cross-shaped outline of the ruins. The chapel of the hospital has been incorporated into the church next door, Our Lady of Altagracia. (Two well-known pubs, Raffles and the Village, are located nearby and provide the hip and others with live music on weekends.) Iglesia y Convento Domínco Another important spot on Calle Hostos, across El Conde and at the corner of Paseo Padre Billini, is the Iglesia y Convento Domínco (Dominican Church and Convent), built in many stages beginning in 1510. As you'd expect, the church was destroyed by an earthquake at the end of the 16th century, then reconstructed, with a chapel added, in 1649. People around Santo Domingo considered the building the most elegant of its time, and for a while it housed the original Santo Tomas de Aquino University. Inside, the altarpiece was a gift from the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabela, known simultaneously as both Spain's Emperor Charles I and Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Take a peek at the rosary chapel and its representation of 12 astrological figures on a map of the stars. From the outside, the building appears in formidable brick and squared stone, decorated with 16th-century Spanish tiles. It is mostly a gothic building, but there is a touch of Renaissance about it, too, with rose motifs around the windows and decorative vines. Next door to the church is the 18th-century Capilla de la 3 Orden (Chapel of the Third Order), where Eugenio Maria de Hostos founded the Escuela Normal, a teacher-training school. Both of these are open Tues.-Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. And, if you're wild about churches and convents, just down Padre Billini at the corner of Calle José Reyes is the Iglesia de la Regina Angelorum (Church of the Queen of the Angels), where the remains of Father Billini are interred. The first female poets in the New World, Leonor de Ovando and Elvira de Mendoza, lived here. Now it's inhabited by nuns, from whom you can get permission to enter. Open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Casa de Tostado and the Museum of the 19th Century Dominican Family If you backtrack down Calle Padre Billini, at the corner of Calle Arzobispo Meriño you'll come to the most genteel of colonial residences, known as the Casa de Tostado. This early-16th-century house was built in late gothic style and now houses the quaint Museum of the 19th Century Dominican Family, which is worth a look. Francisco Tostado, the original owner, was the first Hispaniola-born person to become a university professor (at Thomas Aquinas) but had the misfortune to be killed by Drake's men in 1586. The museum inside has a good collection of 19th-and 20th-century Victorian wicker and mahogany furniture and a courtyard where you can wander and rest. Climb a wooden staircase to the second-story terrace and get a good view of the city. Admission to the house and museum is RD$20; it's open every day except Wednesday (when it's closed) 9 a.m.-2 p.m. If you're in the Casa de Tostado, you can exit onto Calle Arzobispo Meriño and head just behind the cathedral, where you'll find the picturesque alley known as Callejon de las Curas (Alley of the Priests), where the cathedral's clergy live. The residences are closed to the public, but it is a nice walk amid historic buildings. El Museo de la Porcelana Going the other way from the Dominican Church and Convent, you'll find yourself in Calle José Reyes, which for the most part is typical of colonial district residential streets, narrow and busy. Between Padre Billini and Arzobispo Nouel, you'll see the tiny (from the front) El Museo de la Porcelana (open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; admission RD$10). The building which houses the museum was built at the turn of the century by the wealthy Vicini family, reportedly on the model of the Alhambra Palace in Spain. The porcelain collection is lovely, and the inner courtyard is a respite from the busy street outside. Iglesia Del Carmen A short walk up Calle Arzobispo Nouel from Calle José Reyes will take you to the Iglesia Del Carmen and its Capilla de San Andres, an 18th-century church and chapel containing an interesting wooden sculpture of the Nazarene. In this church, it is said, conspirators planned a revolt against Haitian occupying forces in 1844. The chapel and church are open and closed willy-nilly, but if they are closed, you can often gain entrance from the Padre Billini Hospital next door. Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes and Other Churches By heading up Calle José Reyes, you'll eventually cross El Conde (which you should use as your bearing point anyway) and reach the corner of Calle de Las Mercedes, where you'll find Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes, a huge structure built during the first half of the 16th century in homage to the Virgin Mary. The church was finally completed in 1555 just in time to-you guessed it-be sacked by our friend Sir Francis Drake, who apparently had no great love for Catholics. The architect of the original structure was Rodrigo de Liendo, and the grouping of the buildings is both harmonious and attractive-even the massive stone tower. The retable of ornately carved wood is one of the most beautiful in the city. Only the cloister escaped damage in Drake's attack and is in original condition. The other churches in the area, Iglesia San Miguel and San Lazaro, both on Calle Restauracion, are of late vintage and rather forebodingly dark and uninteresting. Parque Independencia Now that you've become familiar with El Conde, you can walk its length toward the west and find the Parque Independencia area. Santo Domingo was fortified in the mid-16th century by walls running along the Ozama River to the Malecón, then up present-day Calle Palo Hincado to a point just beyond Calle Restauracion, and then west back to the Ozama River, all of which became the boundary of the original Colonial District. After darting through the heavy traffic on the Calle Palo Hincado (good luck!), you'll see directly ahead of you the Puerta El Conde (Gate of the Count), named for the Count of Peñalva, the Captain General who repelled the English in 1655. The park, a bit dusty from the heavy trucks rumbling by it all day, contains the Altar de la Patria (Altar of the Nation), built in 1976 and containing the remains of several national revolutionary heroes, including Duarte, Sánchez, and Mella. Just past the gate, and set into the walkway, is a nautical star which points to 32 directions on the highway and is supposedly kilometer one, from which all distances are measured in the country. At the northern edge of the park are the ruins of the Fuerte de la Concepción, which marks the far northwestern part of the old colonial city. Nearby, on the corner of Palo Hincado and Calle Arzibispo Portes, is the Puerta de la Misericordia (Gate of Mercy), which provided protection to the masses in times of natural disaster. If you look over the corner of El Conde and Avenida Arzibispo Meriño, you'll see a building which was originally the town hall (now a bank) and still houses murals painted by Spanish artist Vela Zanetti, exiled in Santo Domingo during the Spanish Civil War. Copyright 1999
by Gaylord Dold.
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