Tag Archives: artifacts

Museo de Atarazanas / Museum of Shipyards

Museo de las Reales Atarazanas (MAR) / Museum of Royal Shipyards

The Museo de Atarazanas is a unique Museum of the Sea. This amazing museum in the Colonial City gives visitors an insight into how it really was for those brave and daring sailors that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of wealth and adventure.

The entrance to the Museo de las Reales Atarazanas (MAR)
The entrance to the Museo de las Reales Atarazanas (MAR)

The Building

The building originally was part of the warehouses / atarazanas of the Spanish Crown / Corona Española. Here the goods entering the island were received and stored in this and the surrounding buildings. This area was the center of the mercantile activities of the island.

Construction of the building 16th Century colonial building started around 1509. It was built in different stages. The Gothic-style building with its stone columns, Romanesque barrel vaults, and clay brick walls was thought to have been completed in 1544.

The Museum

The Museo de las Reales Atarazanas tells the story of Spanish galleons, captains and their crew. You can see how these courageous men lived and died on those Spanish galleons and ships that for centuries sailed the seas of the world.

Scale model of the Spaniard ship Our Lady of Guadalupe, Museo de las Atarazanas Reales
Scale model of the Spaniard ship Our Lady of Guadalupe, Museo de las Atarazanas Reales

The start of the shipwrecks first recorded was on December 25, 1492, when Admiral Christopher Columbus turned over control of the ship Santa María to his cabin boy to sleep and the ship ran aground soon after.

Display of the Santa Maria ship at Atarazanas Reales Museum, Ciudad Colonial Santo Domingo
Display of the Santa Maria ship at Atarazanas Reales Museum, Ciudad Colonial Santo Domingo

The Museo de Atarazanas includes historical information of many hundreds of shipwrecks that occurred along the coast of Hispaniola. The island was a strategic center for exploration during the15th and 19th centuries. But the coastline is rough and there were also many powerful storms that hit, making the entire coast a gigantic marine cemetery.

Jewels rescued from shipwrecks at Atarazanas Reales Museum
Jewels rescued from shipwrecks at Atarazanas Reales Museum

There is a selection of the thousands of valuable artifacts that have recovered from the sea. The collection includes jewels, coins, ingots, cannons and more. Included in the collection are the remains of two artillery pieces from Ovando’s fleet.

Mexican silver coins rescued from a shipwreck in the coast of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Mexican silver coins rescued from a shipwreck in the coast of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

A very interesting display has a selection of jewelry, coins, ceramics and weights found in a Spanish shipwreck in Punta Cana, also from the 16th century. There is a spectacular display of objects from the galleon Nuestra Señora de la Limpia y Pura Concepción (crashed into the Dominican reefs on October 30, 1641) made up of jewelry, precious stones and Ming ceramics.

A digital map of Spanish fortifications during the early exploration of the Americas
A digital map of Spanish fortifications during the early exploration of the Americas

A digital map shows the fortifications of the Spanish during the early exploration of the Americas.

Full-scale replica of the first and second cannon batteries of the galleon Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (18th century), Museo de las Atarazanas Reales
Full-scale replica of the first and second cannon batteries of the galleon Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (18th century), Museo de las Atarazanas Reales

The Museum of Royal Shipyards invites visitors to interact with history. There are many interactive displays and learning tools. One of the most interesting parts of the museum is a full-scale replica of two batteries of an actual colonial ship. You can experience the sounds and scents of the sea.

All the items listed above and so many wonderful items are included in the collection that is part of the Laboratory of Undersea Cultural Patrimony at the new Museo de las Reales Atarazanas. The museum is financed with a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank and is the work of the architects Wilfredo Feliz and Alexy Cordones. The newly remodeled Museo de las Reales Atarazanas (MAR) was inaugurated on December 12, 2019.

Information

Location: Calle Atarazanas and Calle Colón on the corner of Vicente Celestino Duarte in front of the Puerta Atarazana. The street can be accessed by going down the staircase from Plaza España at the Alcázar Colón. Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Cost (12-2019): US$7 for foreigners and RD$200 pesos for residents
MITUR rose the bar to another level
6 pm 12/12/2019 inauguran el modernizado , creo q lo abren al público la próxima semana (martes 17).

Contact: (829) 545-1548

Interior pictures by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) https://commons.wikimedia.org

Reference:
Diario Libre

The Mirabal Sisters Home Museum

La Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal / The Mirabal Sisters House Museum

The Hermanas Mirabal Museum is located in the second home of the Mirabal family in Conuco, Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo). It is such a beautiful way to remember the 3 sisters who gave their life for the country they loved and the fourth sister who worked to preserve their memories.

The Mirabal Sisters House Museum | Location | Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal and Ecoparque de la Paz | El Obelisco Macho | The story of the Sisters known as the Mariposas

The Entrance to the Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum
The Entrance to the Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum
Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum Garden
Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum Garden
The gardens of the Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum
The gardens of the Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum

The Mirabal Museum is Dedés way to maintain the memory of her 3 sisters before she passed in 2014. Dedé (Bélgica Adela) Mirabal-Reyes used to greet many of the visitors to the museum personally. She is so missed but her family is carrying on the museum and the tradition. Sharing with the world the wonderful stories of the Mirabal Sisters.

The library of the Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum
The library of the Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum

The grounds are immaculately kept. I love the butterflies, representing their secret group called
Las Mariposas, displayed throughout the grounds. It is a beautiful garden and so tranquil.

Museums Displays

Here are displays of much of the family’s personal effects. Included in the collection is María Teresa’s embroidery and Patria’s teacup collection. In each of the girls rooms are many of their personal items, handkerchiefs, their sewing machines and each of their favorite dresses. I enjoyed seeing the kitchens they had, both indoor and outdoor with many of the original utensils used during that time.

Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum Basketball Team
Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum Basketball Team
Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum Documents
Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum Documents

The most powerful items in the collection are the artifacts of the sisters’ murder: the shoes, handbags, and papers, as well as the long braid of hair which Dedé cut from María Teresa’s head in the morgue. The blood stained handkerchief that came from the murder scene is heartbreaking. When I saw this it brought tears to my eyes as it is a very moving and touching display.

Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum  Personal Items
Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum Personal Items

Located on the property is also a library, bookstore, and souvenir shop.

Location

The Mirabal Sisters Museum/ Museo de las Hermanas Mirabal
Open for Guided tours Tuesday through Saturday. No pictures are permitted to be taken inside the museum.
Contact: 809- 577-2704
Directions: Km 1, Carretera Salcedo Tenares, Conuco, Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), Dominican Republic

Hermanas Mirabal Museo - Mirabal Sisters Museum  The Four Graves
Hermanas Mirabal Museo – Mirabal Sisters Museum The Four Graves

November 25

On November 25, 2000 (the fortieth anniversary of the Mirabal sisters’ assassination) the remains of the sisters were moved to the grave site on the museum grounds. Here the three sisters are buried together along with Manolo, Minerva’s husband. Dedé is buried in the original family vault, where years before the remains of his three sisters and Manolo Tavarez rested, located at Cementerio Viejo, Ojo de Agua.

The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25, the day the sisters were killed, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal-   orchids and the entrance to the gardens as you enter the grounds.
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal- orchids and the entrance to the gardens as you enter the grounds.
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal -  The side of the main house where Dede lived
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal – The side of the main house where Dede lived
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal -The calm patio at the back of the home.
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal -The calm patio at the back of the home.

The Original Home

The original Mirabal home is still located close to the museum in Ojo de Auga. Here the surviving sister, DeDé lived until her death on February 1, 2014. The gardens are beautiful and so well kept. It is a working farm where they grow orchids and Cacao.

The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal - The outdoor kitchen
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal – The outdoor kitchen
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal - area used for cleaning and processing the raw Cacao
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal – area used for cleaning and processing the raw Cacao
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal - The drying area for the cacao
The original home of the Hermanas Mirabal – The drying area for the cacao

Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal and Ecoparque de la Paz/ Peace Ecopark and Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal

Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal located in Ojo de Auga
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal located in Ojo de Auga
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal - Mirabal Sisters butterfly monument
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal – Mirabal Sisters butterfly monument

In the park across the street from the original home in Ojo de Auga, Salcedo, where the sister DeDe lived is a small park called Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal. Here is a unique monument that represents 3 butterflies. You can also see the chassis of the jeep from which the ladies took their fateful ride. There is damage to both the front and rear of the vehicle because of the staged crash.

Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal - The chassis of their vehicle
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal – The chassis of their vehicle
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal - Mirabal Sisters butterfly monument and baseball field
Plazoleta Hermanas Mirabal – Mirabal Sisters butterfly monument and baseball field

The Park Ecoparque de la Paz/ Peace Ecopark dedicated to the Mirabal sisters is a few feet across the street and down the road from the family home. Funding for this beautiful park is provided by the Fundación Hermanas Mirabal. The organization was originally chaired by Bélgica Mirabal (DeDé) now her son Jaime David Mirabal and Minú Tavarez Mirabal oversee the family history. The park has three paths representing the three sisters who died.

Hermanas Mirabal Ecoparque La Paz - Peace Park, Ojo de Auga.
Hermanas Mirabal Ecoparque La Paz – Peace Park, Ojo de Auga.

The park was designed by architects Michelle de la Cruz, Paloma Hernández y Oliver Guillén. It is a beautiful monument to these 3 patriotic ladies and their sister who remembered them with such grace and love. Thank you to the Mirabal family and all who keep these memories so beautifully.

The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal
The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal

El Obelisco Macho del Malecón / The Male Obelisk on the Malecon in Santo Domingo.

The 137 foot tall Obelisk that Trujillo had built was to bring honor and recognition to himself. Now it honors the women he had brutally murdered, the 3 Mirabal Sisters.

The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal "A Song to Liberty." by Elsa Nuñez. to honor the Mirabal sisters.
The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal “A Song to Liberty.” by Elsa Nuñez. to honor the Mirabal sisters.
The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal
The Obelisco Macho, located on the Malecon is Santo Domingo, was dedicated in 1997 to the Hermanas Mirabal

The obelisk was painted with “A Song to Liberty” by Elsa Nuñez. It was converted to honor the Mirabal sisters, painted with the three women Trujillo had murdered. It was unveiled on March 8, 1997 in honor of International Women’s Day.

The Obelisco seen in the distance from the Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo
The Obelisco seen in the distance from the Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo