The full name of the first Christian temple in Santo. Oldest Cathedral in the Americas

Cathedral of Santo Domingo, also known as the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor is a Catholic cathedral in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patroness of America. Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, headed by Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez. The cathedral has the honorary status of a “minor basilica” and is the oldest cathedral in America.

The construction of this first of the Catholic churches in the New World began in 1514. The first stone was laid by Diego Columbus himself, but construction did not begin, because the architect who arrived on the island changed his mind and sailed to Mexico, where he began work on another cathedral. As a result, the first American temple appeared in Santo Domingo only a quarter of a century later. The leadership of the construction, which lasted for 30 years (until 1544), was entrusted to Bishop García Padilla. But the luxurious building with altars, chapels and statues of evangelists did not stand for long: the church was noticed by the English pirate Francis Drake. Since he was a Protestant and hated Catholics, he decided to plunder and desecrate the cathedral. After this, the building had to be rebuilt. At the request of Emperor Charles V in 1546, Pope Paul III granted the cathedral the status of a Cathedral.

The temple building is quite spacious, its total area is about three thousand square meters. Its width is 23 meters, length is 54 meters, and the height of the walls to the vaulted ceilings is 16 meters. During the construction of the cathedral, golden coral limestone was used, which was mined in local quarries. The architectural appearance of the temple is a mixture of Gothic and Baroque with a strong influence of Plateresque, the characteristic elements of which are most clearly noted in the design of the altar made of silver from 1540. The treasury of the cathedral contains rich collections of carved wooden statues, furniture, jewelry, and silverware.

In the square next to the cathedral there is an original monument to Christopher Columbus. According to some historical studies, the ashes of this great discoverer and traveler were buried next to the main altar of the temple.

In 1990, as part of the colonial city of Santo Domingo, the cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Masses are still celebrated here today.

Santo Domingo Dominican Republic is a great place to relax. The attractions of the Dominican Republic are the beaches and the Caribbean Sea, but the capital, Santo Domingo, cannot be missed. If you have the opportunity to visit the capital of the Dominican Republic, you should definitely do it. We did not buy a Santo Domingo excursion from a travel agency, more because we did not want to be tied to the group. Although this also has its disadvantages, since it is not entirely clear what you will see and what you will visit. But, despite this, we decided to go on our own and did not regret it at all.

• how to get to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, from the hotel
• Columbus Park (Parque Colon) Dominican Republic
• Plaza Espana with sundial in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
• Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
• three eye caves (Los Tres Ojos) in the Mirador del Este park (Parque Mirador del Este) in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

How to get to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, from the hotel

At home we also borrowed guidebooks from the library, so we had information about the city of Santo Domingo.
The city attracted people with its historical past, the personality of Christopher Columbus, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
From the hotel you can take a taxi for a fixed price and go to Santo Domingo. The price list for taxi rides is posted not far from the main entrance. It shows the price for one way or round trip with waiting. The cost of a taxi ride from the hotel in Be live Canoa to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, is $170 round trip and 4 hours of waiting. One way to Santo Domingo costs $135. The cost of a taxi ride to other cities can be seen in the photo.

We chose a Saturday for our trip, since on weekends the hotel is filled with local vacationers. In the morning we had breakfast, the day before we ordered a car for 9.00 and went to the reception at the appointed time. The car was a white minivan Chrysler Grand Voyager, it was delivered on time, the air conditioning worked perfectly.

Our taxi at the Juan Pablo Duarte park in Santo Domingo

Almost all the taxis that are on duty in front of the hotel are minivans. The driver turned out to be good-natured, smiling, speaking a little English, French, German and, of course, Spanish, and took us to Santo Domingo. Despite the minimal vocabulary, everyone understood each other, the main thing was a positive attitude. The road was good, there was a toll road, there were few cars, and time passed unnoticed under cheerful music.

On the way to Santo Domingo we passed about three toll booths. There were no queues for payment. In the photo, the payment point with the queue was taken on the way back.

On the way we encountered beautiful forest landscapes, sugar cane fields, herds of cows, hotels, the Caribbean Sea, and small settlements.

We also saw a bike ride, what it was dedicated to, of course, we didn’t find out, but it was still interesting that on a day off, people weren’t lying on the beach.

From the hotel to Santo Domingo, the journey took 2.5 hours and here we are in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. The first impression of the capital is not rosy: bustle, traffic jams, dirt.

But it was cool and cozy in the car, so all this was perceived as a “cinema”. After some time, we drove along a narrow one-way street, this was already the historical part of the city “Colonial City”.

The driver parked the car at Juan Pablo Duarte Park and said that he would wait for us as long as necessary. We went for a walk around the “Colonial City”. If you wish, you can use the services of a guide; there are a dime a dozen of them. But we just wanted to leisurely wander through the streets, look at the buildings in the spirit of the 15-16th century. We walked towards the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, or rather the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Encarnacion Primada de America. But when we approached the cathedral, we learned that it was impossible to visit now; the cathedral would open for visits in an hour. I had to leave the visit to the cathedral for the end of the route.

In this case, we decided not to change the route itself, we moved towards Columbus Square, and at the beginning we saw a white building in front of us - this is the old city hall. It was built in the 16th century and rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century.

Walking along the cathedral we found ourselves in the Columbus Park (Parque Colon), in the center of which stands the monument to Columbus (1887),

We walked past the House of France (Casa de Francia), the inn of Nicolas de Ovando, now the Nicolas Ovando Hotel, and went to the National Pantheon Panteon Nacional (free admission), where the national heroes of the republic are buried. Initially in 1714-1745. A Jesuit church was built, and in the 1950s the church was turned into the National Pantheon. The tomb is shaped like a cross, with an unusual bronze chandelier hanging in the center. Photography is not prohibited, so look further at the photo of the National Pantheon / Pantheon Nacional.

Opening hours of the National Pantheon are from 9-00 to 16-30, except Mondays

The entrance to the building is always guarded by a guard of honor. The changing of the guard is a very impressive spectacle: soldiers are not only thrown into the air, but also reload their weapons very quickly.

The ceiling in the National Pantheon / Pantheon Nacional is decorated with paintings.

It was already very hot outside, not a single tree, so the next building where we took refuge from the hot sun was the Royal Buildings or Casas Reales (Museo de las Casas Reales). The Royal Buildings housed the Royal Court and the Court of Audit, and was home to various institutions over the centuries, and in the late 1970s became home to the Museo de las Casas Reales (admission fee).

Opening hours of the Casas Reales Museum are from 9-00 to 17-00, daily

The exhibition of this museum is dedicated to economics, politics, culture, and military affairs.
Opposite the entrance to the Royal Court - Casas Reales Museum (Museo de las Casas Reales) there is a sundial installed in 1753 by order of Governor Francisco. The clock is tilted, they say that this was done on purpose, so that it would be more convenient for governors and other bosses to look at them from their offices, as well as iron cows, horses and cannons.

Try to determine the time using a sundial; the hint was 11:05 local time.

From the fortress wall there is a beautiful view of the Osama River and the modern city.

Royal Palace Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

And right in front of us was a view of the spacious Plaza Espana.

In the center of the square is a monument to Nicolas de Ovando, the governor and founder of the Colonial Zone in the city.

The Alcazar de Colon Palace, erected in Santo Domingo, the capital of the island, is one of the unique testimonies of the colonial past of this country. The palace was built in 1514 on the esplanade located above the Osama River. Its construction was carried out by order of Diego Columbus, the eldest son of the famous explorer Christopher Columbus.

The palace was built by 1500 Indians and Spanish architects. It is alleged that not a single nail was used during the construction of the palace and 72 doors still work properly to this day. The Alcazar hosted the first Spanish court in the New World and it was here that plans for the colonization of Cuba, Peru, Mexico and Jamaica were developed. Royal Palace of Alcazar de Colon (admission fee)

The opening hours of the Alcazar de Colon Museum are from 9-00 to 17-00, except Tuesday.
Next we went through the San Diego Gate (Puerta de San Diego (1578)),

the gates are decorated with beautiful coats of arms,

ahead was a modern embankment, and after walking along the fortress walls we found ourselves at Plaza Patriotica and the site of archaeological excavations.

Then we went back to the “Old Town” and found ourselves near the Church of Santa Barbara (under restoration). The area of ​​the Church of Santa Barbara was the quarter of stone carvers. The church was built in 1578, and 100 years later it collapsed.

visited the Amber Museum,

looked at the jewelry made of Dominican amber and larimar stone, presented in the museum store, approached the ruins and ruins of the Monastery of San Francisco (Convento San Francisco)

The monastery was unlucky, it was robbed by Drake, and then in 1673 and 1751. a strong earthquake destroyed the monastery. The monastery was restored several times, but its condition today can be seen.

But the hardest thing was to get to it, at temperatures above 30 degrees, you need to climb uphill and it’s not always possible to find shade while walking along the city streets.

and the Hospital San Nicolas de Bari, walked along the street along the white Old Town Hall

and came to the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Cathedral in Santo Domingo

Our plans included visiting the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Encarnacion Primada de America (Catedral Metropolitana Santa Maria de la Encarnacion, Primada de America), the oldest in the New World. The entrance is located in an unusual way, you need to go around the Cathedral on the left, go through the gate into the courtyard, buy a ticket at the box office for 40 pesos per adult, which in rubles is about 56 rubles (you can pay -1$ for dollars), there is an audio guide in Russian, then the price is a little higher. The entrance to the cathedral is located on the opposite side of the exit, the exit from the cathedral is located opposite the Columbus monument in Columbus Square.

At the entrance to the cathedral, they warn in Russian that you can only take photographs without a flash, which made it possible to take a photo of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Santo Domingo. The cathedral impressed with its grandeur and beauty, against the general background of the “Colonial City”; it had air conditioning, which is very important for that climate.

The temple occupies 3000 m2, height 16 m. The cathedral was built from golden coral limestone and combines Baroque and Gothic in its appearance with a significant Plateresque influence. The vaults are supported by powerful pillars. Over time, 14 side chapels appeared inside the cathedral. The altar is made of wood and covered with gold.

The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Santo Domingo is a Catholic cathedral with the title of Minor Basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation or Annunciation. Located in the old (colonial) city of Santo Domingo, between Arzobispo Meriño and Isabela La Católica streets, next to Colón Park.

The construction of this oldest cathedral in America, also known as the Catedral Primada de América, began in 1512, shortly after the creation of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo by Pope Julius II, but the active phase of construction occurred between 1521 and 1537. The main work was carried out under the leadership of the Seville architect Louis de Moya, who managed to erect the Gothic foundation of the building. In 1529, after the completion of the vaults, Rodrigo Gila de Liendo became the chief architect. Architects Alonso Gonzalez and Alonso de Fuenmayor completed the construction of the cathedral, slightly reworking it in the Renaissance style. Finally, on August 31, 1541, the solemn consecration of the new basilica took place. 5 years later, Pope Paul III elevated the basilica to the rank of a cathedral and the main cathedral of America.

The cathedral building is a three-nave hall-type basilica without a transept, 54 m long with a total width of three naves of 23 m. Round columns support rib vaults reaching a height of 16 meters. Adjacent to the side naves are a total of 14 chapels built in subsequent eras. The basilica is built mainly from limestone blocks, but there is also some brickwork. The interior of the cathedral, in the late Gothic and early Plateresque traditions, contrasts with the main portal, built in the 1530s in the Renaissance style.

Cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Santo Domingo is the former capital of the New World; it is for this reason that they decided to erect the first Catholic church here. Construction began in 1514, the work was difficult and dragged on for almost a quarter of a century and was completed in 1540. But the luxurious temple did not stand for long; an English pirate who hated Catholics decided to desecrate and plunder the temple. After this incident, the temple almost had to be built all over again.

The area of ​​the cathedral covers 3,000 square meters. The dome is 16 meters high. The building is made of 3 naves, the length of the central nave is 54 meters, it is surrounded by 14 side niches.
Initially, it was planned to build an ordinary, undistinguished temple, but the arrival of Bishop Alejandro Geraldini significantly influenced the development of further construction. In 1521, they decided to build the impressive and luxurious Santo Domingo Cathedral. The cathedral archives contain the entire history of the city.

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo combines two styles of architecture: Gothic and Baroque. Particular attention was paid to the decoration of the altar, which is decorated with silver. The temple houses a rich collection of furniture, silverware, carved wooden statues and antique furniture. The Cathedral of Santo Domingo has three exits, the door that faces the Archbishop Merino Street is the main entrance. The front facade above the gate is decorated with busts of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and the embossed coat of arms of Charles V. The third exit is called the Gate of Forgiveness, which opens onto the main square of the city. Attracting curious tourists with its appearance.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, also known as the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, is the oldest cathedral in South America dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to some versions, the remains of Christopher Columbus are buried in the cathedral, whose monument is erected on the square in front of the cathedral (according to other versions, Columbus’s ashes were transferred to, or remained in). Included in the UNESCO list.

Myths and facts

Construction of the cathedral in Santo Domingo began in 1512 under the direction of Bishop Fray Garcia Padilla and designed by the Spanish architect Alonso Rodriguez from Seville. The temple was consecrated by Pope Julius in 1541. Five years later, at the request of King Charles V of Spain, Pope Paul III received the status of Metropolitan and Primate. The cathedral in Santo Domingo became the headquarters of the archbishop. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV awarded the cathedral the status of a basilica.

What to see

The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, clad in golden coral limestone, combines Gothic and Baroque elements. Cross vaulted ceilings rise to a height of 16 m, the total area of ​​the basilica is 3000 sq.m.

In the interior, manifestations of the Plateresque style, fashionable in Spanish culture of the 16th century, are noticeable. It is especially pronounced in the decoration of the silver altar. The ancient treasury of the cathedral contains rich collections of unique wooden statues from the 16th century, medieval furniture, old jewelry and silverware. There are also a number of antique objects that have been used by archbishops in religious ceremonies over the centuries.

Next to the main building there are chapels that were added later. In the courtyard of the complex there is a tombstone of Simon Bolivar. At the end of the 19th century, remains were also found on the territory of the complex, according to the Dominicans, belonging to Columbus. Later, the ashes were transferred to where the memorial plaque was installed, although DNA analysis carried out by scientists did not confirm their identity.

200 m east of the cathedral there is another famous attraction -. Santo Domingo is also home to the oldest royal palace in the Americas -