Iglesia y Hospital de San Lazaro / Church and Hospital of San Lazaro
The church was built in 1573 to be a resource to mediate with and convert the indigenous Taino population. It fast became a hospital for persons of limited resources, in simpler terms, the poor and destitute. It served these who suffered a multitude of contagious diseases of whom most were lepers. There were 20 beds.
Iglesia San Lazaro
In 1650 the hospital was run by Jerónimo de Alcocer. In 1743 the hospital had 20 beds and was divided into sections for the men and women. The men got two rooms and the ladies got one room.
The hospital was not a pleasant place. As the city grew it was used less because of the proximity to the colony and the diseased humans that were treated within the walls were just too close for comfort to the non-diseased persons living close by.
Iglesia San Lazaro
In Ruins
The building was ruined in the earthquake of 1751 and during the rebuilding the people gave it the name the “Chapel of the Raggedy Beggars” until it was finally rebuilt in 1759.
During the restoration of the building in 1880’s many skeletons were found. Many of them showed evidence of leprosy while others showed no traces of the disease. Many had other diseases and some had no traces of any abnormality. They were just victims of the bad practices of this notorious hospital.
Iglesia San Lazaro on Calle Santome
Directions:
From Calle el Conde turn north on Santomé. Go about 2 blocks between Santiago Rodrigues and Juan Isidro Perez near Calle Restauracion in Zona Colonial
Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes / The Church and Convent of Our Lady of Mercy
This church is the works of Rodrigo de Liendo. Construction began in 1549 and finished in 1555. It was known as one of the most distinguished temples in the Indies. This is one of the most loved temples by the Dominican people. They come here to pray to the Virgen de las Mercedes.
Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes as seen from Calle Las Mercedes
Originally built as a gothic type temple,
with a baroque altar and lateral ornamentations of silver. It also included several smaller chapels.
Door of the Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes
The church underwent several changes and remodeling. In 1635 two gothic arcs were added to enhance the dome ceiling. A bell tower was also added to the structure. In 1910 the back part of the church was changed into a convent.
The building could not stand up to the earthquakes so the walls were strengthened which, in turn, made the building lose much of its original gothic splendor.
Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes
The statue of Saint Padre Pio de Pietrelcina stands in the Plaza at the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes. Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina, southern Italy on May 25, 1887 – died September 23, 1968 at the age of eighty-one. Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio on June 16, 2002.
Iglesia y Convento de las Mercedes
Why do the Dominican people celebrate Las Mercedes? About Our Lady of Mercy / Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. Patrona de la República Dominicana.
*Did you know that one of the bells located at the church are from the ship U.S.S. Memphis? T ship’s bell was given to the people of Santo Domingo for their help in rescuing the ship’s crew. About the wreck of The Memphis.
Directions
: From Calle el Conde turn north onto Calle Jose Reyes. Walk 2 blocks and turn left onto Calle Mercedes.
This building, sitting in the Plaza San Antón, was one of the originals built by order of Nicolas Ovando in 1502 with its original name being San Antonio Abad. The building was set afire by Sir Francis Drake and then almost completely destroyed by the hurricane San Zenón in 1930.
Ermita de San Antón
The small chapel has been rebuilt totally and painstakingly after many years of abuse and thievery. Thanks to old pictures they were able to make this the new version as close to the old as possible. The chapel now has no objects of religious significance inside. As of this writing (2012) it has not been kept up well.
The interior roof of Ermita de San Antón
Plaza San Antón
There is a small plaza, Plaza San Antón, that is near this chapel and many homes are built around and through where the old walls stood. It sits along the far northern walls of the Fort San Francisco which connected the Monastery and the fort of the same name.
Plaza San Anton with the Ermita de San Antón in the distance.
Directions:
From Calle el Conde go north, up the hill, on Arz. Meriño about 4 long blocks. Pass the Ruins of the Monastery San Francisco to Calle Restauracion and make a left (south) There is a plaza with many stairs. The little chapel is at the top of these stairs at Plaza de San Antón. Below Calle Vicente Celestino Duarte.
All You Want To Know About The Oldest City In The Americas
