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You’ve probably already head that the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is being renovated, but what exactly are they doing? This a $30 million USD project, led by the Dominican Ministry of Tourism is making lots of changes to greatly improve the area as a tourist destination, here we bring you the details.
Ah, the Colonial Zone. Testament to the first city in the New World. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you know. And with good reason, it’s got all kinds of historic places for not only Dominican history, but the world’s, such as the Alcázar de Colón, a looming castle commissioned and lived in by Diego Columbus (you may know him, son of that one guy, what’s his name… Oh. Yeah. Christopher Columbus.), or Fort Ozama, the first military base used by the Spanish, French, Haitian, and finally Dominican forces since the formation of the Colonial City.
Being from Santo Domingo, knowing such a historic landmark is going to be improved upon warms my heart, with the entire Colonial Zone getting what can only be described as a thirty million dollar makeover. Architects and archaeologists such as Maribel Villalona (who will be leading the project) and Carlos León Amores will be cleaning up historical sites and reallocating power lines underground so as to bring the area back to its more ancient beauty. There have also been discussions about making more streets in the area for pedestrians only, just like the Calle el Conde has been for several years.
Landmarks set for “makeovers” include the aforementioned Alcázar de Colón and Fort Ozama, as well as the ancient Las Atarazanas Naval Museum and the Museum of the Royal Houses, which displays artefacts from pre-colonial and colonial life on the island, as well as giving in-depth explanations on the colonization of the island and its processes.
Tourism in the Colonial City has already been growing as of late, so it stands to reason to give this historic area the extra care it definitely does deserves. I personally love the idea, and can’t wait to see the end result.