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Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)
Encyclopedia
Ciudad Colonial is the first settlement made by Christopher Columbus
and the Spanish explorers in the New World
. It has been declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
. Colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone), Ciudad Colonial is part of the original Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
, and the origin of the district dates back to the 16th century. The District is located in the west corner of the Ozama River
, which bisects the city. The district today covers less than 5 square kilometers.
It is an important section of the city due to the high number of landmarks, including Alcázar de Colón
, Fortaleza Ozama
, Catedral Primada de America
, and others.
, Ciudad Colonial remained an important historical site.
The city was surrounded by a defense wall (murralla, in Spanish) extending from the Ozama River
to the Puerta del Conde
("The Gate of the Count", in Spanish), which was the only entrance to the hinterland
and the furthest boundary of the city until around the late 19th century. In the 17th century, it is known that the defensive wall
was modified after the Siege of Santo Domingo
led by the William Penn
and Robert Venables
. The 1655 invasion was thwarted by Spanish troops commanded by the Captain General of the Colony, Don Bernardino de Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalva, to whom the Puerta del Conde
is named after. Prior to the invasion, there was a fort at the site where the Puerta del Conde
is today, Fuerte San Genaro. It is believed that the modification that occurred after the siege involved the expansion of the wall to the fort, effectively creating a bastion
, El Baluarte del Conde.
The defensive wall
was composed of various bastions, such as El Baluarte del Conde and gates such as La Puerta de la Misericordia. There were also several forts which ran along the wall, such as El Fuerte de la Concepcion and El Fuerte de Santa Bárbara.
Calle Las Damas is the oldest street, dating from 1502. The pedestrian-only street is bordered by many of the zone's more prominent landmarks.
There are two important commercial districts in or adjacent to the Zona Colonial, including the Calle del Conde and Avenida Duarte (Duarte Avenue). Both have many shops and cafes. The portion of Avenida Duarte just north of the Zona Colonial is the local shopping center, and is currently undergoing a renovation plan that aims to make the area more appealing to tourists
.
The recently restored and expanded Plaza de España is bordered by Las Atarazanas, filled with small shops and restaurants. This area was one of the first commercial centers in the Americas, and is still a hub of activity today. The Alcázar de Colón, having once been the colonial palace of the Columbus
family—beginning with his son Diego
—is now a well-regarded museum displaying period furniture and decorations. The building was originally built in 1510.
A 700 million US dollar investment was made in the Port of the Ozama river adjacent to the Ciudad Colonial aiming to turn Santo Domingo into a port of call
for luxury cruise ships and including a privately-owned marina. The project is being completed by Sans Soucí Ports S.A. One of the most ambitious projects of its type, it is expected to turn the Colonial District and the rest of Santo Domingo into an area attractive to tourists, something never achieved before.
The majority of the landmarks and cultural venues of the Zona Colonial were erected during the colonial period of Spanish rule, and as such some are in desperate need of repairs and maintenance. (Their names are in Spanish.)
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
and the Spanish explorers in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. It has been declared a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone), Ciudad Colonial is part of the original Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and the origin of the district dates back to the 16th century. The District is located in the west corner of the Ozama River
Ozama River
The Ozama River in the Dominican Republic can trace its source to the Loma Siete Cabezas in the Sierra de Yamasá close to Villa Altagracia....
, which bisects the city. The district today covers less than 5 square kilometers.
It is an important section of the city due to the high number of landmarks, including Alcázar de Colón
Alcázar de Colón
The Alcázar de Colón, or Columbus Alcazar, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is the oldest Viceregal residence in America, and forms part of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo World Heritage Site...
, Fortaleza Ozama
Fortaleza Ozama
The Fortaleza Ozama is a sixteenth-century castle built by the Spanish at the entrance to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and overlooking the Ozama River. Named after this river, the castle, also referred to as "La Fortaleza" or "The Fortress", is the oldest formal military construction still...
, Catedral Primada de America
Catedral de Santa María la Menor
The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1512 and completed in 1540...
, and others.
History
The Spanish used this settlement as the first point of influence in the Americas, from which they conquered much of the American mainland. Even though Spaniards focused their attention more on the mainland after conquering Mexico, Peru, and other regions of Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Ciudad Colonial remained an important historical site.
Ozama River
The Ozama River in the Dominican Republic can trace its source to the Loma Siete Cabezas in the Sierra de Yamasá close to Villa Altagracia....
to the Puerta del Conde
Puerta del Conde
La Puerta del Conde is the site in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, one of the Dominican Founding Fathers, proclaimed Dominican independence and raised the first Dominican Flag, on February 27, 1844....
("The Gate of the Count", in Spanish), which was the only entrance to the hinterland
Hinterland
The hinterland is the land or district behind a coast or the shoreline of a river. Specifically, by the doctrine of the hinterland, the word is applied to the inland region lying behind a port, claimed by the state that owns the coast. The area from which products are delivered to a port for...
and the furthest boundary of the city until around the late 19th century. In the 17th century, it is known that the defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
was modified after the Siege of Santo Domingo
Siege of Santo Domingo (1655)
The Siege of Santo Domingo of 1655, was fought between April 23, 1655 to April 30, 1655 at the Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo. A force of 2,400 Spanish troops led by Governor Don Bernardino Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalba, successfully resisted a force of 13,120 troops and 34 ships of the...
led by the William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
and Robert Venables
Robert Venables
Robert Venables , was a soldier during the English Civil War and noted angler.Venables was lieutenant-colonel in the parliamentary army. He was wounded at Chester in 1645. He was appointed governor of Liverpool in 1648. He served with success in Ireland from 1649 until 1654...
. The 1655 invasion was thwarted by Spanish troops commanded by the Captain General of the Colony, Don Bernardino de Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalva, to whom the Puerta del Conde
Puerta del Conde
La Puerta del Conde is the site in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, one of the Dominican Founding Fathers, proclaimed Dominican independence and raised the first Dominican Flag, on February 27, 1844....
is named after. Prior to the invasion, there was a fort at the site where the Puerta del Conde
Puerta del Conde
La Puerta del Conde is the site in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, one of the Dominican Founding Fathers, proclaimed Dominican independence and raised the first Dominican Flag, on February 27, 1844....
is today, Fuerte San Genaro. It is believed that the modification that occurred after the siege involved the expansion of the wall to the fort, effectively creating a bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
, El Baluarte del Conde.
The defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
was composed of various bastions, such as El Baluarte del Conde and gates such as La Puerta de la Misericordia. There were also several forts which ran along the wall, such as El Fuerte de la Concepcion and El Fuerte de Santa Bárbara.
Ciudad Colonial today
The cobblestoneCobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
Calle Las Damas is the oldest street, dating from 1502. The pedestrian-only street is bordered by many of the zone's more prominent landmarks.
There are two important commercial districts in or adjacent to the Zona Colonial, including the Calle del Conde and Avenida Duarte (Duarte Avenue). Both have many shops and cafes. The portion of Avenida Duarte just north of the Zona Colonial is the local shopping center, and is currently undergoing a renovation plan that aims to make the area more appealing to tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
The recently restored and expanded Plaza de España is bordered by Las Atarazanas, filled with small shops and restaurants. This area was one of the first commercial centers in the Americas, and is still a hub of activity today. The Alcázar de Colón, having once been the colonial palace of the Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
family—beginning with his son Diego
Diego Colón
Diego Columbus was the 2nd Admiral of the Indies, 2nd Viceroy of the Indies and 3rd Governor of the Indies. He was the firstborn son of Christopher Columbus and wife Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, and was born in 1479/1480 in Porto Santo, Portugal or 1474 in Lisbon, Portugal. He died February...
—is now a well-regarded museum displaying period furniture and decorations. The building was originally built in 1510.
A 700 million US dollar investment was made in the Port of the Ozama river adjacent to the Ciudad Colonial aiming to turn Santo Domingo into a port of call
Port of Call
-Synopsis:Berit, a young woman living in a working-class port town begins a relationship with Gösta, a sailor newly returned from overseas and intent upon staying on land...
for luxury cruise ships and including a privately-owned marina. The project is being completed by Sans Soucí Ports S.A. One of the most ambitious projects of its type, it is expected to turn the Colonial District and the rest of Santo Domingo into an area attractive to tourists, something never achieved before.
Landmarks
- Catedral de Santa María la MenorCatedral de Santa María la MenorThe Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1512 and completed in 1540...
- Puerta del Conde (Parque de la Independencia)
- Alcázar de ColónAlcázar de ColónThe Alcázar de Colón, or Columbus Alcazar, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is the oldest Viceregal residence in America, and forms part of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo World Heritage Site...
- Fortaleza Ozama
- Panteón NacionalNational Pantheon of the Dominican RepublicThe National Pantheon was built from 1714-1746 by the Spaniard Geronimo Quezada y Garçon and was originally a Jesuit church. The structure was constructed in the neoclassic-renaissance style...
- Museo de las Casas RealesMuseo de las Casas RealesThe Museo de las Casas Reales, is one of the important cultural monuments built during the colonial era in la Hispanola. This monument is located in the Colonial district, of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic....
- Royal Sundial
- Ruinas de San Francisco, Monasterio San Francisco
- La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
- Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Bari
- La Casa de Bastidas
- Hostal Nicolás de Ovando