Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Sight Seeing and History page 2

Sun Dial/ Reloj de Sol This sun dial, erected during the reign of Carlos III in 1753, is one of the oldest sun dials in all the Americas. It was used as the official time-teller and could be seen from the government offices in the Casas Reales. This way they could all see what time it was. This dial sits atop a large stone pillar and has two vertical dials or faces. The Southeast face is for the morning time to be seen and the Southwest side is for the afternoon hours. The large metal plate with its raised parts show the hours by the shaded markings.

Directions: In front of the Museo de Casas Reales on Calle Las Damas

Alcázar de Colón/ Columbus Palace A 22 room stone home built by Columbus son, Don Diego and his wife. (Colon is the Spanish word for Columbus). They resided here during his term as viceroy. This fortress was built during the early 1500s to be the seat of the viceroy court. Diego and his wife Maria de Toledo lived here until 1523, when he was recalled to Spain. Other relatives lived here for decades afterwards. This building was abandoned in 1770 and turned into a garbage dump. Cave-ins in 1809 and 1835 left the building in ruins.

It was restored by highly skilled stone cutters, with added refinements made during several later restorations. All rebuilding was done to remain as faithful as possible to the original construction and decor. Not one single nail was used in it's construction. It opened to the public on Columbus Day in 1957.

The palace sits in a large open square, Plaze de Armas or Plaza de Espana, Always some activity happening here. A nice place to be. Looks beautiful at night with the lights on. It now houses a collection of furniture and household items from this period

Direction: Calle Las Damas

Las Casas Reales/ The Royal Houses (picture-new window)

These two adjacent and connecting buildings were constructed at the same time between 1503 and 1520.

The building on the right is the Palace of the Governor. The other building held the seat of the Royal Court/ Palace of Royal Audiences on the second floor and the ground floor held the General Accountancy. Here can be seen a replica of a colonial court room and many exhibits.

The arched gothic style windows on the second floor where the Royal Court was held gave a perfect view of the Sun Dial so they always knew what time it was.

There are Isabelic decorations and white porcelain brick and much more beautiful architectural styles to be seen in this powerful building. The interior courtyard is beautiful.

Here can be seen the coat of arms of Spain, a beautiful staircase where underneath is a large globe of the world with a horse on his hind lags ready to jump over it. Here is written in Latin: Non sufficit orbis (The world is not large enough). more information on the museum

Before the Royal Houses were built the Royal Court would meet in the City Hall building.This is where the jail was located, across from the Plaza de Armas. They held their sessions in one of the halls of the Atarazanas.

Directions: Calle las Damas and Mercedes.

Faro a Colón/ Columbus Lighthouse is a massive building shaped like a cross. It was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in Las Americas in 1492. This monuments design was chosen out of many applicants from the world over.The jury chose the design of Joseph Lea Gleave from England.His design was described as "an enormous cross-shaped structure designed to last for all times. The jury described his design in this way, "THE DESIGN, MAKING WONDERFUL USE OF LIGHT, TAKES REFUGE IN A DIRECTNESS, SIMPLICITY AND FORCE WORTHY OF THE MONUMENTS OF THE AGES. THE DESIGN IS SYMBOLIC, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT WHERE SYMBOLISM INTERFERES WITH THE SIMPLE BEAUTY OF THE WORK AS ARCHITECTURE. SEEN FROM THE AIR, OR FROM ITS SURROUNDINGS, THE SIMPLE MASS BECOMES A NOBLE ELEMENTAL FEATURE OF THE GROUND AND OF A CHARACTER WORTHY OF THE STEADFAST COURAGE AND FAITH OF THE GREAT DISCOVERER IT COMMEMORATES".

At the commemoration ceremony the remains of Columbus were carried from the First Cathedral of the Americas through the streets, across the river and to their new resting place inside this enormous monument. The ceremony was even attended by Pope John Paul II. There is a museum and chapel inside and it also is a repository for numerous documents and artefacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times

The Faro a Colón is 693ft (211m) long East to West and 195 long feet North to South. It was built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. The building, in my opinion, is quite ugly from the outside. It is huge and can be seen from far away. The impressive part of the structure is when they have the light on illuminating the night sky with it's brilliant cross. Now it is only turned on on special occasions because of the cost and problems with the electricity is the country. The light, it is said, can be seen in Puerto Rico on a clear night. It is very beautiful to see this cross shaped beam of light in the night sky.

There is still much debate on whether the remains are really Christopher Columbus. Spain claims to have his remains also. to read more on this check out there 2 web sites.CBS News and Indiana Edu

The lighthouse has just been remodeled (August 2008) and is again open to the public

Telephone: 809-591-1492; Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm (there is a small admission fee)

Directions: Av. España in the Mirador del Este Park

Ruinas El Hospital San Nicolás de Bari/ Ruins and Hospital San Nicolas de Bari

The hospital was originally on the east of the Ozama river, built in November 1503. It is said that the hospital was built atop the home of a black woman who nursed the sick.

When the city moved to the opposite side of the river the hospital soon followed. Built by order of the governor Nicolas de Ovando because there was such a great need as sickness and disease was prevalent due to the heat, insects and lack of medicines and treatment knowledge. The hospital and doctors center with an adjoining church was funded entirely by contributions from the more well off people of the colony.

The original building was a palm hut where the ladies who had the desire would come and take care of the sick as a charity offering. This palm building only could hold about six patients. The stone building replaced the palm one in 1519. Construction of this state of the art hospital made of stone and brick was complete in 1527. Only a small chapel remains of this second building.

The third hospital was built from 1533 to 1556. It was much larger and could hold about fifty patients. But this building took a beating from the Pirate Francis Drake in 1586 when he burned and destroyed the medical center and stole its contents including documents and many of the treasures of the church.

This building also served as a military hospital but continued to disintegrate due to hurricanes and earthquakes. Even though the building was in ill repair it continued to be used. Finally after the Restoration the hospital was abandoned to its decay. The walls were further destroyed when the chapel, the Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, adjoining the decaying hospital was rebuilt in the 1930's. Then some walls were knocked down because they were in danger of falling.

One can still see the cross shaped outline of the ruins with the blue floor tile. There seem to be a large amount of beggars in this area probably because of the Our Lady of Altagracia church .

Directions: Calle Hostos between Mercedes and Calle Luperón

Ruinas del Monasterio de San Francisco

Sitting atop a hill, surrounded by an iron fence sits almost 2 blocks of buildings in ruins. Looking majestic and eerie. If only these lonely bricks could tell their story.

These, most important ruins of the Americas, was the first monastery in the Americas. The building was started by Nicolás de Ovando in 1509 and was completed in 1560. Built on a hill overlooking the city it was, and is, a true marvel. It was divided into three parts, the Convento/ Convent, the Chapels (Capilla de la Tercera Orden de los Franciscano, the Capilla de Garay also known as the Chapel of Maria de Toledo, Diego Colons' wife), and San Francisco el viejo.

Over the largest part of the monasteries doorway is the Cordón de la Orden Franciscana, the coat of arms of the order, carved into the stone surrounding the arched doorway. There is a cross and a bust of Padre Billini. It was built on the outside in Renaissance style and the inside in Gothic.

At one time this place was used as a military fort and named La Casa del Diablo/ The house of the Devil. It has also been called El basurero del Monasterio/ The Garbage Can of the Monastery. In 1881, Francisco Billini changed the building into a lunatic asylum. If you look on the inside there are still remnants of chains bolted to the walls where they tied the crazies

It was taken by the Pirate Francis Drake (for more information on Drake) during his very destructive raids on the city in 1586 Nature also attacked the monastery with two devastating earthquakes in 1673 and 1751.

It is a very humbling sight to behold. Sitting atop its hill, looming. It's menacing, eerie feeling multiplied when you walk close and see the holes in the land surrounding the building. Some say that these were to hold prisoners. while others say they are places where excavations were done. There is also a deep well on site. In the past the inhabitants were lunatics and friars, now the sole inhabitants of the building are the pigeons and ghosts. The cooing of the birds, or maybe it be the moaning from the people of the past, add to the eerie feel of the place. In the evening the place seems to heighten its magnitude and mysteriousness. The lights shining on these abandoned and falling stone walls give it an immense forlorn and desolate feeling. It is also a great place to sit with your significant other on the steps. There are usually not many people in the area which adds the desolate feeling.

At times there are special events held here. There may be a concert or school group doing something. I was there when a television station was making a commercial about peace.

Picture of the making of the commercial

It is also said to be where Bartholemew Columbus is buried, but this is not certain.

Directions: Calle Hostos, Restauracion, Duarte and Juan Isidro Perez (it takes up almost 2 city blocks)