CATEDRAL SANTA MARÍA LA MENOR PRIMADA DE AMÉRICA
Read moreThis church is the oldest cathedral in the Americas. Diego Columbus laid the foundation stone in 1514, under the watchful eye of architect Alonso Rodriguez and thirteen specialists specially commissioned by the King of Spain. However, he actually built the monument in Mexico City. In 1519, Bishop Alejandro Geraldini, realizing that the cathedral was still only a rough draft, reactivated its construction by symbolically laying a new foundation stone. Construction continued until 1540, but the bell tower was never completed. In 1546, Pope Paul II consecrated it as a metropolitan cathedral and the first cathedral of the Indies, giving it authority over all churches in the New World. During the sacking of the city in 1586, Francis Drake set up his headquarters here. It housed the remains of Christopher Columbus in a marble mausoleum until they were transferred to the Columbus Lighthouse in 1992.
The massive structure was built from coral reef stones. It is a blend of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The facade features the imperial coat of arms of Charles V, as well as busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
The cathedral is accessed via three doors: one opens onto the Plaça Colón, the second, facing the Plaça de los Curas, is known as the "Pardon Door", while the third is the central door. Two of these doors are Gothic in style, while the third belongs to the Plateresque movement (a transitional architectural style between Gothic and Renaissance). The interior, with its brick floor, takes us right back to the 16th century, with its many paintings, stained-glass windows, period objects and furnishings. The basilica is 54 m long and 23 m wide, and its greatest height from floor to vault is 16 m. Although none were included in the original design, the cathedral now boasts fourteen small chapels, each different from the next. Take, for example, the archbishops' crypt. The main mahogany altar dates from 1684. The stained glass windows are the work of Dominican artist José Rincón Mora.
Another feature you won't easily spot is a cannonball on the roof! It landed there during the British invasion of the city, but miraculously didn't explode. The Dominicans have kept it as proof of the divine intervention that protected the cathedral.
SAN NICOLAS DE BARI HOSPITAL
Read moreOf the first hospital in America, built between 1503 and 1508 by Nicolás de Ovando, in honor of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of priests, only ruins remain today. But what ruins! The establishment, which functioned until it was demolished for security reasons at the beginning of the last century, housed the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Altagracia, patroness of the Dominicans. Nearby is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (19th century).
CAPILLA DE SAN ANDRÉS
Read moreThe chapel, dating from 1562, was part of the hospital of the same name - the country's first charitable hospital, and the second built in the colonial zone. It is said that it was here that the town's inhabitants planned the revolt against the Haitian occupation in 1844. Inside is the town's most beautiful altarpiece. Baroque in style, carved from mahogany, it depicts the Christ of San Andres, to whom miraculous powers are attributed. It is a precious testimony to the cultural heritage not only of the country, but also of the Caribbean.
IGLESIA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL CARMEN
Read moreThe church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen is one of the smallest in the colonial zone. The chapel was built in the eighteenth century (from 1729). Its atrium, called the Plazoleta de la Trinitaria, served as a meeting place for the Dominican patriots who put an end to the Haitian domination. In front of the church, at number 255, a marble plaque has been placed on the façade of the house where the Trinitaria, the secret society that led to the country's independence, was founded.
IGLESIA DE SANTA BARBARA
Read moreOnly the ruins of the church built in the 16th century, destroyed by a cyclone in 1591 and then rebuilt, remain. Famous for having been built on the stone quarries which were used for the construction of the monuments of the colonial time, the church of Santa Barbara saw the baptism of Juan Pablo Duarte, hero of the Independence war. The facade is of Spanish colonial style with a baroque tendency. Inside we can see some beautiful baroque altarpieces. From the garden, one can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the colonial city.
IGLESIA Y CONVENTO DE LAS MERCEDES
Read moreBuilt in 1530 in honour of the Virgin Mary, this church is particularly sober. It houses a Masonic lodge and an institution of the Catholic Church, a unique cohabitation in the world. Today it is the headquarters of the Academy of Dominican History. Outside, you will observe a hundred-year-old tree in the church square and a fountain. The complex is still standing and has survived human and weather attacks through the centuries.
SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY
Read moreHere again, only a few ruins remain of the first monastery in the New World, built in 1512 by the monks of the Order of St Francis. The old well of San Francisco and a reservoir where water was stored for the inhabitants of the town still exist. The site of the tomb of Alonso de Ojeda, one of the most intrepid captains of the conquistadors, is still visible under the ruined vault. Cultural events and concerts on Sunday nights.
IGLESIA DE REGINA ANGELORUM
Read moreBuilt in the 16th century, in 1564, the church belongs to the monastery of the Dominican nuns who lived in the country until the beginning of the 19th century. It is known as the first monastic church in the country. The façade of this solid construction is in the Plateresque style with Baroque elements. Inside, the choir is topped with wooden beams. The first two poetesses of the New World, Sor Leonor de Ovando and Elvira de Mendoza, lived here.
IGLESIA DEL CONVENTO DE SANTO DOMINGO
Read moreThe church and convent were built around 1510 by the missionaries of the Santo Domingo order. In 1538, the convent became the original seat of the first university in the New World. It was named St. Thomas Aquinas, and today it is known as the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. It was also here that the famous sermon of Brother Antonio de Montesino ("I am the voice that cries out in the desert") was delivered, calling for more humane treatment of the natives.
IGLESIA AND CONVENTO DE SANTA CLARA
Read moreBuilt in 1522, initially dedicated to Santa Ana, the convent was the first to house nuns, Poor Clares, in Santo Domingo and in the New World, before they left for Havana in 1796. The church houses the tomb of Don Rodrigo Pimentel, patron of the convent. A practical man, he used the convent to house his mistresses, according to legend. Today, in the desecrated building, there is a school. An architectural complex to visit.
CAPILLA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS REMEDIOS
Read moreIt was here that the very first religious services in the capital were held, before the cathedral was built. It was later used as a private chapel by the Davilas, a prominent family in the Spanish colony. The single-bay brick chapel, topped by a three-arched bell tower, dates from the early 16th century and was restored in the 19th century. In the chapel lies the body of Don Juan Alejandro Acosta, a hero of the resistance against Haiti.