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Years ago an advertising campaign promoting the Dominican Republic stated,
‘Santo Domingo, the best kept secret of the Caribbean.” This portrait of this
unique island, rich in history, culture, and natural beauty, is not far from the
truth. Visitors attracted to its miles and miles of incredibly milky white sandy
beaches and transparent azure pristine waters, surprisingly, find much more. The
country’s rich heritage comes alive as we pass centuries old monuments located
in the colonial section of the capital city, Santo Domingo. The beauty and power
of the stonewalls, the façade of the five hundred year old buildings, transport
the traveler to the times of the Conquistadors, the explorers of this new found
continent, they named America. The oldest city of the New World, erected on
basin of the River Ozama, is a jewel, blessed with some of the most stunning
monuments encountered in the New World.
Dominicans proud of their heritage and thoroughly cognizant of the treasures in
the majestic monuments that adorn the colonial section of Santo Domingo have
during the past 40 years consistently invested in restoring this unique district
to original grandeur. Slowly and persistently, the transformation of the ‘ciudad
colonial’ is evident everywhere: from the restoration of colonial homes,
re-pavement of city streets with cobble stones, lanterns on corner streets,
beautification of national landmarks, and so forth. Walking through the city
streets, the visitor is completely enthralled by the beauty of the buildings as
they forge majestically into the beautiful blue Caribbean sky. At night this
area comes alive with small cafes and restaurants and one can hear in the
distance a wide range of music being played: from the heartbeat of flamenco to
the vibrant and seductive rhythm of the merengue.
The monuments visitors find here speak for themselves. Walking through the
city’s narrow streets we are immersed by the architectural patrimony found in
the five hundred-year-old city. The colonial section, founded by, Bartolome
Colon, in 1496, was earmarked by the United Nations as part of the World
Cultural Heritage. This city rapidly grew during the first few years of
colonization, thus shaping way for the advancing Spanish forces in their quest
to conquer the Americas. Here are some of the city’s most valued and cherished
monuments.
Erected in the early 1600’s, the breathtaking Spanish version of Renaissance
architecture is evident in the construction of the Basilica Catedral
Metropolitana Nuestra Senora de la Encarancion, Primada de America. Lovingly
simply referred to by Dominicans as ‘La Catedral’ or ‘La Basilica’, this
colossal ashlar masonry monument arises majestically, imposingly, and
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