Historic sites in Santo Domingo

Historic Landmarks of Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo’s history is preserved through its 16th-century ruins and mid-20th-century monuments. This collection includes the first monastery and hospital built in the Americas, alongside defensive fortifications like Fuerte de la Concepción. The list also traces the city's political evolution, from 18th-century scientific tools like the Royal Sundial to modern memorials commemorating the end of the Trujillo dictatorship and the 1959 liberation expedition.

Tony Santiago / Cc-by-sa-3.0

Ruins of Monasterio de San Francisco

Monasterio de San Francisco in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Dominican Republic, is a monastery that was built between 1508–1560, with the…

Sundial

Sundial built in 1753 for the officials sitting in the officies of what is now Museo de las Casas Reales. Still working!

El Obelisco

There's an interesting story behind this monument: built in 1936 to commemorate the city's rechristening done by brutal president Trujillo.

Fuerte de la Concepción

A 17th-century bastion that formed part of the city's northwestern defensive wall system, protecting the entrance to the colonial settlement.

Hospital San Nicolás de Bari

Constructed between 1503 and 1508, these ruins are the remains of the first hospital built in the Americas, commissioned by Governor Nicolás de Ovando.

El Fuerte de Santiago

A defensive fortification built along the city's southern maritime wall to protect the coastline against pirate attacks and naval invasions.

Obelisco Hembra

Built in 1947, this monument commemorates the Trujillo-Hull Treaty and the full payment of the Dominican Republic's external debt to the United States.