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'Ciudad Colonial' (Spanish
for Colonial City) is the first settlement made by Columbus and the Spanish explorers in the New World. It has has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO ^[1]

Contents

History

Ciudad Colonial today

Landmarks

Gallery

References

See also

External links

History

Ciudad Colonial, colloquially known as “Zona Colonial” (Colonial Zone), is part of the original Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Dominican Republic, and the origin of the district dates back to the 1500s. 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 Alcazar de Colón, Fortaleza Ozama, Catedral Primada de America, and others. The city was surrounded by a defense wall extending from the Ozama River to "La Puerta del Conde" (The Gate of Conde in Spanish), which was the only entrance to the hinterland and the furthest boundary of the city until around the late 19th century.
The Spanish used this settlement as the first point of influence in the Americas and after that conquered much of the American mainland. Even though Spaniards focused their attention more on mainland cities after conquering Mexico, Cuba and other regions of Latin American, Ciudad Colonial remained an important historical site.^[2]

Ciudad Colonial today

The cobblestone “Calle de las Damas” is the oldest street, dating from 1502. The pedestrian-only street is is bordered by many of the zone's more prominent landmarks.
There are two important commercial districts in the “Zona Colonial”, these are “Calle del Conde” and “Avenida Duarte”. Both have many shops and cafes. Avenida Duarte is the local shopping center, and is currently undergoing a renovation plan which aims to make the area more appealing to tourists.
The recently restored and expansive Plaza de la Hispanidad is bordered by Las Atarazanas, characterized by 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 Alcazar de Colón, having once been the colonial palace of the Columbus family, is now a well-regarded museum displaying period furniture and decorations. The building was originally built in 1510.

Landmarks

The majority of the landmarks and cultural venues of the “Zona Colonial” were erected during the colonial period of Spanish ruling and as such some are in desperate need of repairs and maintenance.''(Names are in Spanish)''

★ Catedral Santa Maria la Menor (Primada de America)

★ Puerta del Conde (Parque de la Independencia)

★ Alcazar de Colón

★ Fortaleza Ozama

★ Parque de la Independencia

★ Panteon Nacional

★ Museo de las Casas Reales

★ Royal Sundial

★ Ruinas de San Francisco, Monasterio San Francisco

★ La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia

★ Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolas de Bari

★ La Casa de Bastidas

★ Hostal Nicolás de Ovando

Gallery

References

1. UNESCO – Justification for Inscription]
2. Santo Domingo; Fragmentos De Patria by Banreservas ISBN:99934-898-9-5

See also

★ Santo Domingo

★ Dominican Republic

★ Hispaniola

★ UNESCO

External links

★ Diario Libre Online Article about Reconstruction Ave Duarte. (Spanish)