Description of the attraction
The picturesque ruins, which turned into a huge hospital of St. Nicholas of Bari, remind of the times of the development of the New World. This hospital was built at the beginning of the 16th century. It is notable for being the first hospital built on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The construction of this structure, for which the inhabitants of Santo Domingo must thank the governor of the time, Nicolas de Ovando, lasted from 1503 to 1519. Within a few years after its opening, it became a very famous and respected medical institution, where people came from all over the region. According to 1522 data, the hospital admitted approximately 700 people annually.
The original building of the hospital of St. Nicholas of Bari was built of wood. In 1533 it was demolished and replaced with a stone structure, the structure of which resembled a cross. This hospital was left untouched by Francis Drake's troops when Santo Domingo fell into British hands. In the middle of the 18th century, the hospital was abandoned by people. Scientists cannot name the reasons for this treatment of a quite strong building. The hospital survived several storms and even withstood a couple of earthquakes. However, Hurricane Zeno of 1930 was the last for the hospital. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that half of the buildings in the city suffered from bad weather then.
Local authorities decided not to restore the hospital, but, on the contrary, to remove the overhanging walls, which could collapse at any moment right on the heads of passers-by. Residents of Santo Domingo appreciated this approach and joined in the removal of stones for their own needs. By now, several walls with arched passages have remained from the magnificent hospital.
