The most beautiful religious buildings East

Straight out of a medieval postcard, the Iglesia San Estanislao, in the heart of Altos de Chavón and overlooking the river Chavón, was consecrated in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and is one of the most beautiful churches in the Dominican Republic. Its attractive portico houses a wooden statue of Stanislas, patron saint of Poland, carved in Krakow. An urn containing the saint's ashes was donated by Pope John Paul II to celebrate its inauguration. Church services are held here on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm.

The church of San Pedro Apóstol (dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle) is a beautiful building in the English Gothic style, whose yellow and white walls contrast nicely with the blue sky. It was first built in 1915 and rebuilt in 1930 after a cyclone. The stained glass windows are beautifully worked, and its confessionals are, as is the tradition, made of wood. The bell tower, visible from all over the city, serves as a landmark.

This church dedicated to San Dionisio, also known as Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia (not to be confused with the much more recent basilica), is one of the oldest religious temples in the Dominican Republic. Built between 1569 and 1572 in a style typical of the time (a nave, a transept, a polygonal apse and a barrel vault), it has undergone some renovations over the centuries. The feast of Our Lady of Altagracia, patroness of the Dominicans, is celebrated here and in the basilica on January 21.

An international architectural competition was launched in 1947 for the creation of a new place of worship that could hold 3,000 worshippers. The winners, two French architects, A.-J. Dunoyer de Segonzac and Pierre Dupré, laid the first stone in 1954, followed in 1968 by the magnificent stained glass windows created in Chartres. Finally, on January 21, 1971, the complex was inaugurated and declared a cathedral, basilica and national monument.

Facing the Juan Pablo Duarte Park, this modest church is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Santa Rosa de Lima (celebrated in August), also patron saint of Peru, the New World and the Philippines. The first building was erected in 1914 and was then a simple hermitage, managed by the priest J.W. Connor. It was not until 1940 that it was enlarged and elevated to a church. It has a pleasant garden.