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All Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Alcázar de Colón

Alcázar de Colón

After Christopher Columbus died, his son built a fancy house to rule from.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

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Sarah Laskow
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Alcázar de Colón today.   Reinhard Link/CC BY-SA 2.0
A side view.   Osplace/CC BY-SA 3.0
By the early 20th century the place was in ruins.   Library of Congress/LC-D4-8898 [P&P]/Public domain
Nice digs.   Marine 69-71/CC BY-SA 3.0
People outside   Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
Alcázar de Colón on Noche Larga de los Museos.   theliz / Atlas Obscura User
  theliz / Atlas Obscura User
  theliz / Atlas Obscura User
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After Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus, became governor of the Indies in 1509, he had a palace built for him in Santo Domingo. It was the first viceregal residence in the Americas.

Built of coral limestone by a team of 1,500 indigenous people, the Alcázar de Colón once boasted more than 50 rooms, along with gardens and courtyards. Here, within the lavish mansion, Spanish conquistadors met and planned expeditions.

Diego and his wife left the place behind when they were recalled to Spain, but relatives kept the building occupied and filled with luxuries. In 1586, the pirate Francis Drake sacked the place.

But over time, the once-fancy residence was left to deteriorate. By the mid-1700s, it had been abandoned and was later used as a dumping ground. In the 1870s, though, it was made a national monument, and in the 20th century underwent restoration.

Today, though only about half of the original rooms have been restored, the place is a popular museum. It's part of the Ciudad Colonial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Related Tags

Houses Colonialism Unesco Monuments Museums Palaces Homes

Know Before You Go

It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, it's open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tickets cost $100 RD.

Community Contributors

Added By

Sarah Laskow

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theliz, Ursula

  • theliz
  • Ursula

Published

August 7, 2018

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  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic/santo-domingo/attractions/museo-alcazar-de-colon/a/poi-sig/1020531/358037
  • https://www.frommers.com/destinations/santo-domingo/attractions/alczar-de-coln
Alcázar de Colón
Plaza de España
Calle La Atarazana 2
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
18.477011, -69.883103
Visit Website
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