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We walked across and down to Calle Las Damas and to see the Changing of the Guard in the mausoleum which occurs at noon every day. This is the National Pantheon (The name translated to English means "A Church run by the Jesuit Fathers and National Pantheon") which was built in the early 1700s (some say as early as 1714, some say it was in use in 1747, and others say it was not finished until 1755) as a Jesuit church by Geronimo Quezada y Garçon . Later it was used as a tobacco warehouse, housing for the San Fernando seminar, public offices and and a theater for the independence fighters of 1860. The Spanish architect Javier Borroso adapted the building for the former dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in the mid 50s. (Some sites say 1955, some say 1956 and some say 1958.) The floor is made of Dominican marble. It was originally Trujillo's intention to be buried here. Now it is used to honor Santo Domingo heros such as Gregorio Billini, Gregorio Luperón, Don Eugenio Maria de Hostos - a Puerto Rican who is revered by the Dominicans for organizing the educational system in their country, General Pedro Santana, the five-time president of the republic and others. It has a large bronze and mahogany chandelier - a gift from Franco (photo 3) . I sat down on the steps facing the guard. The central nave is the widest and is covered by a vaulted ceiling covered with a mural. I asked Gloria what the murals above us represented (photo 4), but she didn't give a terribly satisfactory explanation. According to websites, they are a fresco inspired by the Death and Resurrection. I tried to take a short movie with my video camera of the changing ceremony which involved a lot of rifle maneuvers, but someone walked over and stood in front of me. COST: Free. OPEN: Mon.-Sat. 10-5. Leave a Comment Address: Calle Las Damas, near Calle de Las MercedesDirections: The Colonial ZoneWebsite: http://dominicanrepublic.com/index.php?page=the-culture
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Also known as George Washington Avenue, El Malecón is a waterfront boulevard lined by bistros, bars and discos and is the location of the Dominican Carnival celebrated during in February. Leave a Comment
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I'm not sure what's more impressive about this monument: its sheer size; the fact that it appears to rise out of nowhere; or the fact that it is mausoleum for a man whose bones may actually be buried five timezones east. In any case, its quite spectacular and merits inspection both inside and outside (it is built like a giant crucifix). The inside has some nice artwork as well as exhibits donated by various nations from around the world. Be careful not to take pictures indoors or at least be sneaky about it. My sister was screamed at for photographing the Argentine display, but things were smoothed over when it became known we were from a city with a heavily Dominican baseball team. The beautiful Baroque interior of this monument can't hide the controversy surrounding the monument and its construction. The design of this massive cross was chosen in 1929 and is from the Englishman Gleave. The monument, however, wasn't completed until 1992 (the 500th anniversary of the discovery). It cost the Dominican government over $100 million US, caused the razing of an entire slum and now causes power outages if the lights are turned on. Even if you're not a fan of Columbus or the western view of the discoveries, visit this monument just for its notoriety. Also, walking from Tres Ojos to Faro a Colon is not a simple hike. If you want to do it, do NOT cut through the park as there is no exit to Faro a Colon and you will have to jump a rather high fence. Leave a Comment Address: Parque Mirador del EsteDirections: East of the Ozama - ask a cab driver to take you (less than RD$200)
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