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The beautiful corner house of Don Francisco Tosado, also known as the Casa del Tostado, is one of the first homes built of stone (1520) in Santo Domingo. The lovely isabelina window is the trademark of this residence situated on what were then the outskirts of the city. The charm and elegance of this home invited many notable Dominicans to take up residence here. The neo-classic renaissance architecture of the Pantheon Nacional, known once as the Church of the P.P. Jesuits, was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. By decree of Felipe V de Borbon, the Jesuits who had arrived in Santo Domingo in 1649, were authorize to establish a theological center in the city’s ground. The donation of a wealthy landowner, Juan Rivera Quezada, made possible the construction of this church that is located between Calle Las Damas and Las Mercedes. The history of this extraordinary beauty is intertwined with the Colegio de Gorjon, located nearby at Calle Arzobispo Merino. Here, wealthy landowner, Hernando Gorjon, in 1538, established a school specializing in grammar and ethics. Almost one hundred and seventy five years later, the Jesuits established residency on the foundation of the old school. The grounds of the seminary grew, as it became in 1749 the Universidad Real Y Pontificia de Santiago de la Paz & Gorjon. In later years, its was used as a warehouse, government offices, theater, etc. After undergoing extensive renovations, it is here that the remains of the most notable of Dominicans are laid to rest amidst the tri-color red, white, and blue flag of the Dominican Republic. In this solemn repository, magnificent murals adorn the dome ceilings.  The colonial city has many other monuments. From the Ruins of San Francisco to
Governor Ovando’s Residence, where Christopher Columbus resided on his last trip
to the Americas. The Chapel of San Andres with its extraordinary brick dome
ceiling. The City Walls where the main gate to the city’s entrance is found. The
House of Medallions with its impressive medallions plastered on the home’s
portal. The Chapel of Remedies standing solitary and where a brick arch columns
solemnly give repose to the weary. The remains of what once were the first
hospital of the America, Hospital of San Nicolas de Bari. The quaint
Church of
Our Lady of Carmen. The list most certainly can go on and on. This is a city of
history of which legends take a life of their own. Without question, this is a
prominent city that gave birth to the first city of the Americas, hospital,
monastery, university, and so list goes on. Upon existing the City Walls, the city changes and the past is left behind where it belongs - part of history, heritage, of what once was. There is no other word to describe la Zona Colonial, but jewel. The bustling sounds of cars and people transport the visitor to a vibrant city full of potential and a vision of the future.
On the Eastern side of the Rio Ozama, the Faro a Colon (Columbus LightHouse)
majestically rises, and its brilliant beams of light warmly salute the future of
tomorrow’s visionaries. The awesome sight of this Cross containing precious
relics of the period and where the remains of Christopher Columbus are buried is
without question, one of the new city’s most valuable monuments. Related links: CaribSeek Dominican Republic - Zona Colonial Article URL: http://kaleidoscope.caribseek.com/Alicia_van_der_Dijs/Monuments_of_Santo_Domingo/ Content ©
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The Royal Houses are two imposing adjoining buildings constructed in 1520. Here
the Governor’s mansion, Palacio de los Gobernadores, and the Royal Court,
Palacio de la Real Audiencia, resided. Initially, this austere gothic isabeline
structure served primarily as the first Court of the Americas where grievances
from all the newly conquered lands were settled. In the establishment, we find
here the only Coat of Arms of, Queen Juana of Castilla, also known as Juana the
Insane, who after the death of her beloved Felipe the Beautiful lost her mind.
Located in one of the estate’s most striking rooms, the Reception Hall, one can
appreciate the incredible woodwork on the ceiling and the majestic crystal
chandeliers that frame the chamber. The stone brick edifice, located in the
America’s oldest street, Calle Las Damas, has undergone numerous renovations
throughout the centuries. The Royal Houses served once as the Presidential
Palace, however, today we find here The Museum of the Royal Houses that exhibits
one of the finest collections of the period. In 1976, King Juan Carlos, the
first Spanish King to set eyes on the new continent since King Ferdinand and
Isabella’s orders gave fruit to the conquests of unimaginable territories,
inaugurated the newly renovated Royal Houses.
