Parque Colon, or Columbus Park, is the central square of the Ciudad Colonial historic district of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

. In its Center stands a statue of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

, in whose honor the square was renamed in 1887. Previously the square was known as Plaza Mayor. Monuments bordering the square include the Catedral de Santa Maria la Menor, Santo Domingo's Municipal Palace, and the Palacio Borgella, which once hosted the Dominican Republic's Parliament. Calle del Conde, once the thriving commercial heart of Santo Domingo, starts from Parque Colon and runs to the

Puerta del Conde La Puerta del Conde (The Count's Gate) was the main entrance to the fortified city of Santo Domingo (in present-day Dominican Republic), named to honor Governor Captain-General Bernardino de Meneses Bracamonte y Zapata, 1st Count of Peñalva, wh ...

. At the beginning of Calle del Conde is a bust of

Bartholomew Columbus Bartholomew Columbus ( lij, label= Genoese, Bertomê Corombo; pt, Bartolomeu Colombo; es, Bartolomé Colón; it, Bartolomeo Colombo; – 1515) was an Italian explorer from Genoa and the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. Biography Bo ...

, Christopher's brother and the founder of Santo Domingo.

History

During the colonial period of the 15th century, various buildings were built on the island of Hispaniola, which were the first colonial houses in the entire American Continent. Within these residential constructions the Parque Colón was created, which was called by the name of Plaza Mayor de Santo Domingo, which dates back to 1506, and throughout the years to this day it has undergone various modifications. This was the main entertainment center for the inhabitants of the time, since it gave life and splendor to the town of La Isabela, and its surroundings. The name of Plaza Mayor was given in honor of the Major Commander of the order of Nicolás de Ovando, who arrived in Santo Domingo in 1502. It was named after him even more, since he was in charge of moving the city to the western part of the Ozama River. Previously it was called as Plaza de la Catedral, since a few meters from the square was the Catedral Primada de América. In the center of this park is the statue of Grand Admiral Christopher Columbus pointing north, and it was a creation of the French sculptor E. Gilbert. On February 27, 1887, it was officially inaugurated as Parque Colón, since there was the statue of Columbus.

Location

Colón Park is located on Calle El Conde, on the corner of Calle Arzobispo Meriño, in the Colonial Zone, in the city of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.

Gallery

File:Gente CCSD 07 2018 0635.jpg File:Abside y Fachada Norte Catedral CCSD 03 2020 2997.jpg File:Dominican Republic Santo Domingo.jpg File:CCSD Parque Colon RD 02 2017 1903.jpg, Cathedral and Statue of Columbus Image:Palacio Borgella.JPG, Portico of Palacio Borgella File:SD RD 03 2017 2124.jpg, Palacio Consistorial

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Santo Domingo Tourist attractions in Santo Domingo Squares in the Dominican Republic Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)

History

Location

Gallery

See also

References