A Short History

On the edge of Santo Domingo, right by the ocean there is a beautiful part of the city called La Ciudad Colonial. It is seriously a photographer's dream. If only I were a photographer... It's crazy how this country doesn't recognize the amount of money they could generate if they were to capitalize on this part of town. Unfortunately, it's just as littered as other areas. Grass and garbage are over taking the rich history of this genuine piece of world history.

Many people don't know but Christopher Columbus didn't actually discover America. He discovered the island of Hispaniola, which is now the Dominican Republic and Haiti. While he is celebrated as a hero for his daring expeditions there are other parts of history that have not been told such as, the slaughter of so many native islanders that they no longer exist. Still monuments and statues have been erected to remember Christopher Columbus and his discovery.

The port that the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria first sailed into is now located in Santo Domingo. And it is here that begins the story of La Ciudad Colonial.
A few years after his first voyage Christopher Columbus returned to the island with his brother Diego Columbus. They decided to settle the area and Diego began plans for a house, rather a mansion really. That structure still stands today. Oh yes, this is the home of Diego Colon. Built over 500 years ago but the inside was remodeled in 1955 for tourists. You can still walk through the great rooms where Diego spent his life and where Christopher Columbus visited.

As more and more Europeans arrived more natives were killed and a new city was born. The first Catholic Cathedral in the Americas was built. Walkways were paved in stone and the first street was laid, Calle de las Damas. These same stones now provide a perfect place to imagine the sites and sounds of the 1500's in the New World or a to enjoy a popsicle.

And to mourn over a popsicle that melted too fast because even though it looks like it could be the middle of some far away European country we are still on a tropical island.

On the corner of one of these streets just down from the French Embassy now sits a big anchor. Local tour guides will tell you that the anchor was found at the bottom of the ocean and that it was the original anchor of the Santa Maria. I can imagine that Christopher Columbus must have really enjoyed the wildlife and serenity that this new paradise held. Ground so rich that if you drop a seed onto the ground it would sprout with out any help at all. There were new fruits and foods that lasted all season. And it was all his.

The city continued to grow. Other buildings were built to honor the king and queen and forts were erected to ward off unwelcome guests.Now 500 years later we sat in the park of the doves just in front of the original Catholic Church of the Americas, running with the birds that surround you and land on your hands and taking in the scenery. As we sit enjoying the soft tropical breeze we can't help but look around and remember stories of the past and hope that the evidence of these stories is still there to cherish in the future.

THE END