Ciudad Colonial | Spanish Colonial Empire, Early 16th Century
When Christopher Colombus made his maiden voyage from Spain on October 12, 1492, he set sail in search of an alternate trade route to India. What he found instead was the islands of the Caribbean and eventually mainland America. The island of Hispaniola—split today between Haiti and the Dominican Republic—was the first island to be settled by the Spanish.
Left: Statue of Christopher Colombus | Kevin Olson on Unsplash & Right: Chapel in Cuidad Colonial | Yoitok on Unsplash
The city of Santo Domingo was founded in 1498 and is the oldest permanent establishment of the New World, becoming the headquarters of Spanish conquistadors in the early 16th century. The city was laid out in a grid system and became the template for all other cities founded in the Americas by the Spanish. Fortaleza Ozama is recognized as being the oldest military structure in the Americas and sits at the entrance to Ciudad Colonial on the western side of the Ozama river mouth.
Excuse me! Are you on Pinterest?! Here are a couple of pins! Right: Venero Encarnación Martínez on Unsplash
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This post is part of an expanded series taken from 37 Wonders of the World in Chronological Order. You can click the link to read more or navigate between individual photo posts beneath the gallery.
