The La Puerta del Conde arch built in 1543, is remarkable because the Dominican Republic flag was first hoisted here. It happened on 27th February 1844 and is now traditionally celebrated as the Day of Independence. The gate is part of the fort El Baluarte del Conde, which has served for centuries as a fortification against pirate and enemy attacks. The bastion is a beautiful Italian fortification monument, popular in that era. The Panteón de la Patria was originally built as a church (constructed in the year 1746) and later a theater and a tobacco warehouse were located here. Today, prominent Dominican Republic figures are buried in the beautiful example of neoclassicism.
The residence of Alcázar de Don Diego Colón was built in 1512 for Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus (in local pronunciation – Colón). The palace played an important strategic role in the 16th century, but with the building seized by the famous pirate Francis Drake in 1586, the palace gradually became a cavity abandoned in the mid-17th century. The building was restored and reconstructed in the 1950s according to Javier Barroso’s project. Today, a collection of artworks from the 15th-17th centuries can be found inside the palace. The Casa de La Moneda building, built in the early 16th century, was previously used to mint coins. However, today the site will be of interest to numismatists, for whom the Dominican coin collection is situated inside.
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