Description of the attraction
One of the most magnificent and beautiful buildings in Santo Domingo is the National Palace, which is owned by the President of the Dominican Republic.
The neoclassical building, erected in the period from 1944 to 1947 by the project of the Italian architect Guido D'Alessandro, cost the country a tidy sum. Construction work, material, furnishings were valued at 5 million pesos. The building was supposed to become a new symbol of the country, since its construction began on a very important public holiday - February 27, 1944, when the centenary of the independence of the Dominican Republic was celebrated. For the construction of the National Palace, the former Presidential House had to be demolished, which was built by the Americans who occupied the country in 1916-1924.
The area of the new three-storey palace is 18 thousand square meters. The first floor is occupied by service rooms, on the second there are the offices of the president and his deputy, a hall for ceremonial receptions, a reception room. The third floor is famous for its luxurious rooms, each of which has its own name. Here you can find the Green Salon, the Caryatid Hall, the Ambassadors' Room, and many others. Also on the third floor are the personal apartments of the President of the Dominican Republic.
The most prominent and dominant architectural feature of the National Palace is the large 34-meter-high dome that rests on 18 columns. The marble for the president's mansion was delivered from local quarries. The chapel of St. Raphael the Archangel, built at the palace, is also of great interest. Its decor is splendid and luxurious.
You can get to the National Palace as part of an excursion group.
