Statue of Fray Anton de Montesinos. Montesinos was one of the first to inhabit the Convento e Iglesia de los Dominicos/Monastery and Church of the Dominican Order. He is known for his historic defense of the Indians. He courageously spoke against the abuses done to the Indians in a famous sermon made in 1511.

     The statue measuring 150 feet (30 meters) is seen at the entrance to the port at Rio Ozama and the Santo Domingo Harbor along the Malecon.This gigantic statue was donated to the Dominican Republic by the Mexican Government while Lopez Portillo was president of Mexico. There is a small plaza in front of the statue and is a nice place to start your walk down the Malecon along the sea.

Directions: Ave. del Puerto and Paseo Padre Billini (both are concidered to be the Malecon)

Casa de Bastidas/ House of Bastidas    Captain Rodrigo de Bastidas, the Almojarife Mayor (Principal Royal Tax Collector) and governor of Santo Domingo, built this his residence. It is not constructed in the normal style of the time. It more resembled a warehouse, not an estate where people were to live. It was built this way to have two functions, a residence and as a storehouse and safe to keep the Crown revenues and treasure until they could be sent to Spain.There is a plaque in the wall and a stone statue of Santa Bárbara above the door dating from the 18th century.

     This building now houses some art galleries. The house has a very large patio adorned with Roman arches where are held concerts and celebrations.

Hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Directions: Calle las Damas north of Fortaleza Ozama

Polvorin/ The Powder Magazine    This impressive rectangular building has walls that are 10 feet thick. It was build during the second half of the eighteenth century

Cass de Francisco Tostado is one of the earliest constructions on the island in the 15th century. Tostado came to the island with Nicholas de Ovando in 1502 making him one of the earliest settlers on the island. He was a writer and father of famous writer Francisco Tostado de la Peña, the first person born in the island to become a university professor, who was killed by cannon fire of Pirate Francis Drake in 1586. The construction of this house is said to be one of a kind. Inside the rooms are large and spacious and quite lavish. The archways throughout the house are exquisite. The top floor has a great view of the sea. The patio is lovely and it is said at one time there was an orchard here. This house has held many famous inhabitants of the island, first the Tostado family and including Francisco Rodríguez Franco and the house of the Archbishop. When the country took the house over in 1970 it was made into a historical monument. It is now the home of the Museum of the Dominican Family

Directions: on the corner of Padre Billini and Arzobispo Meriño

This house was built when the construction on the Cathedral ended, around 1540. It was probably names House of Medaillions because of the five medallions with the human faces inside. These faces, one in each pillar and the other three are centered above the doorway. The center face, an adolescent face with a hairstyle of that period, is thought to be the face of King Carlos 5. It's original inhabitants are unknown but it is thought to have been the home of some rich government employee.

Directions:Arzobispo Merino and the City Council parking lot(then called Los Piateros or Silversmith's Street)

Las Atarazanas/ The Atarazanas    Translated this means Spanish-naval yard or warehouse

The Atarazanas on the Ozama River were like warehouses used to store cargo brought in by the ships.  The Atarazanas of Santo Domingo are the oldest in the Las Americas and they are the only buildings of their type that have survived.

     Constructed between 1509 and 1536, when the roof was completed.The Atarazanas have remained in tact through all attacks and earthquakes (like the Cathedral) they have remained almost intact.

     The Justices of the Court used this building until the Casas Reales were built.

To read more about Montecinos check the people in history page

Fuerte de San Gil/ Fort of San Gil     This 3 sided bastion was built to help protect the city from Pirate and marauder attack. The watchtower gave a perfect view of any ship coming from the Caribbean Sea and also of the beach below. It is a nice place to sit at night and watch the sea. There is an open air restaurant located here.

Directions: The Southwest most part of Colonial Zone on the Malecon

This gothic style building was originally constructed by Frey Nicolás de Ovando in 1503 to rent to visitiors. The name came about because it was the home of the explorer and conqueror of Mexico, Hernán Cortés. Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, Diego Velasquez and Alonso de Ojeda also lived in this house.

Restored in 1978 it become the home of the offices of the French Embassy and Consulate in 1999. The building is now named Casa de Francia. It houses a ballroom, library, small theater, and a gift shop.

Directions: Calle Las Damas and Calle El Conde

Casa de los Jesuitas/ House of the Jesuites     This stone and brick house is one of the oldest buildings in the city.  Governor Ovando in 1701, ordered the Jesuites to build this house to be used as a university. It was completed in 1747 but some twenty years later the Jesuites were banned from the Dominican Republic so the building was given to la Corona.  It became the home of the Colegio Santiago de la Paz y Gorjón 1767.

*In November 2006 President Leonel Fernandez announced a new museum to be opened in this building, The Museum for Dominican Music. They will catalogue, research, and save the Dominican music for all to enjoy. The Jesuit House will be remodeled to be the new sight of the museum.

Directions: Calle Las Mercedes in the Colonial Zone

The House of Gargoyles dates back to the 16th century. It has six Gargoyles that decorate the front of the building. These are water drainage devices that were modeled to represent gargoyles heads. It is thought that they came from the original Cathedral. There are three small balconies on the second floor of the building and only two small windows on the first floor. This was home to Don José Fernández and later became home to a group called Compañía de Jesús. Through this hoses existance it has housed various councils, the Haitian Occupation and more. It was also the home where poet Emilio Prud'Homme and musician José Reyes, collaborated to commemorate the Restauración in 1897, and wrote the song that became the Dominican National Anthem (1934 it was dedicated as the national anthem). It is now the home of la Fundación Dominicana de Desarrollo/the Dominican Foundation of Development.

Located on Calle las Damas near the  National Pantheon

Casa del Cordón/ House of Cords     This house is named such for the "Cord of San Francisco" carved in stone surrounding the doorway. It was built by Francisco de Garay who,when he originally arrived in the New World, was a servant of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón). Columbus taught Garay to be a Notary Public and he gained his wealth from investing in the mining of the country.

    The beautiful house was the first stone house in the New World. It was built in the Iisabethian and Gothic styles of the time. The house was used as temporary housing for Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus, and his wife while the palace,their residence, was being built. This house also housed many of the noted persons of the time. It was a place of grand social gatherings and meetings of the "beautiful people" and important people of the time. All waited on hand and foot by the black slaves.

     This house housed the Real Audiencia. With the terrible and devastating invasion of Francis Drake in 1586, when he and his Pirates took over the city,this building was where the transactions took place for the inhabitants to buy back their city. They paid a heavy price of silver and gold to these English Pirates to get back their beloved city.

The Casa del Cordón is now occupied by the Popular Bank (Banco Popular) who took care of the  restoration of this beautiful building. When you enter you will be amazed at the beauty inside and also of the court yard in the center. The ceiling as well as the floor, all is beautiful in this building.

Located on Calle Isabel la Católica and Emiliano Tejera

This large stone home was built in the 14th century for dean Duque de Rivera. This house has a few different legends that are said to have existed behind its walls. It is said that the condemned prisoners arriving here from Mexico stayed in this house and always left covering their faces so no one could identify them. Another story of the house is that the gentleman living here was deformed from some disease and this is the reason he always left the house covered.Another says that the twin brother of the King of Spain lived here. He was a strange person who always kept his face covered so he could not be recognized. All these legends have one thing in common, someone stayed here who was secretive and stayed covered. None know for sure now why the inhabitants of this house always seemed to remain under cover. Another mystery of history that will never be answered here in the Colonial Zone.

Location: Calle 19 de Marzo and Padre Billini

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