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Interesting Facts
- Christopher Columbus may have stumbled across the New World, but it was hardly "new" to the Taino Indians when he arrived in the Dominican Republic. Long-time inhabitants of Santo Domingo and other areas of the Caribbean, they welcomed Europeans but were soon virtually annihilated.
- Spanish conquistadors knew the value of a good staging port when they saw one. Such famous (or infamous) explorers and conquerors as Hernán Cortés and Ponce de León used Santo Domingo as a springboard to make forays into Mexico and mainland America.
- Members of the Columbus family besides its patriarch seem to have had an adventurer's spirit. Christopher's son, Don Diego (who was married to King Ferdinand's niece), became the first governor of Santo Domingo. In fact, Diego commissioned the governor's palace, Alcázar de Colón, which still stands today.
- Although not mentioned in many history books, another member of the Columbus clan was responsible for founding Santo Domingo. Christopher's brother, Bartholomew, officially declared the capital of the modern Dominican Republic a city in 1496.
- The oldest Catholic cathedral in the New World, Catedral de Santa María la Menor, is located in Santo Domingo. Although construction initially began in 1514, due to an untimely gold rush, the structure remained incomplete for almost three decades. Today, the finished building is still in use and welcomes visitors to the New World every year.
- The inaugural opening of El Faro a Colón, or the Columbus Lighthouse, took place in 1992 and marked the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the New World. Standing 688 feet tall, the lighthouse is a fitting beacon for Santo Domingo visitors. Interestingly, the great explorer's remains are supposedly kept in the lighthouse's chapel.
- Ruins of the New World's first monastery, Monasterio de San Franciso, are an eerie, intriguing reminder of Santo Domingo's volatile history. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake held the city for ransom and burned the monastery. What Drake failed to complete, an earthquake finished in 1673.
- In Santo Domingo, it's possible to buy cigars at almost any store or stand, and with good reason – internationally famous Monte Cristo cigars are manufactured here. Visitors can also purchase Cuban cigars, although it's illegal to bring them back into the US.
- Alexandre Dumas, famed author of "The Count of Monte Cristo," has a noteworthy connection to Santo Domingo. His grandfather immigrated to the city and married an islander, giving young Alexandre's father a host of interesting tales to pass along to his son. In fact, it's rumored that some of his grandfather and father's best traits helped the author construct the remarkable character of the Count.
- Like many Caribbean ports from the 15th to the 18th centuries, Santo Domingo saw its fair share of pirates. These vagabonds of the sea valued the city for its relative closeness to trade routes from Spain and other European cities. Famous buccaneers who graced the city include Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and Charles Vane.
