Description of the attraction
The first monastery in the New World was built in Santo Domingo. Its owners were monks of the Franciscan order. Now from this stone complex, standing on a hill and surrounded by a metal fence, there are only ruins that serve as an ideal backdrop for various festivals and concerts. Tourists do not forget about the sacred building.
The construction of the monastery began in 1509 by order of Nicholas de Ovando and dragged on for 50 years. The Gothic and Renaissance monastic complex consists of a residential building and two adjacent chapels. Several prominent people are buried on the territory of the monastery - a traveler, a member of the Columbus expedition Alonso de Ojeda and Bartolomeo Columbus, the brother of the great navigator. The ashes of these people were discovered by archaeologists.
Above the main entrance, you can see the image of the coat of arms of the Franciscans, which should once again remind passers-by about the owners of this building. There was a time when the monastery was occupied by the military and transformed into a fortress. In those days, the inhabitants of Santo Domingo called the holy monastery the House of the Devil, because arrested people were kept on its territory. To this day, near the monastery complex, holes in the soil have been preserved, in which, according to some scientists, the unfortunate prisoners lived.
The monastery was first damaged during a raid on the city of Francis Drake. Then there were two earthquakes in the city, which also did not spare the monastery. In the 18th century, the monastery was restored and turned into a hospital for the insane. Finally, in 1930, after a hurricane raged, it was decided not to rebuild the monastery.
