Monasterio de San Francisco

The Franciscans began building here in 1508, making this the first monastery in the Americas, and the complex grew into a church, cloister and chapel on the rise above the port. Drake's raid in 1586 damaged it, earthquakes in 1673 and 1751 brought down more, the San Zenón hurricane of 1930 wrecked much of what was left, and in 1940 a leprosy hospital and asylum were set up in the ruins. What stands now are tall walls, arches and the outline of the cloister, stabilised rather than restored. On Sunday evenings the ruin becomes a venue: a long-running open-air party fills it with merengue and old-school Dominican music, with the crowd dancing between the arches under floodlights.

History

Building began when the Franciscans arrived in 1508 and ended in 1560, making it the first monastery in the New World; the main church was begun in 1544 and finished on 23 July 1556. Francis Drake looted it in 1586, repairs lasted until 1664, and earthquakes in 1673 and 1751 damaged it again; Alonso de Ojeda was buried at its main entrance. In the siege of Santo Domingo in 1809 the French put artillery on the roof of the church, the San Zenón cyclone of 1930 wrecked much of the building, and in 1940 the Padre Billini leprosy hospital and asylum were installed in it; today the ruins are used for social and cultural events (Wikipedia, Monastery of San Francisco, Santo Domingo).

The main sights

• The standing arches - the church and cloister walls above the port.
• The Sunday night party - merengue among the ruins, floodlit.
• The view down to the river - the colonial city and the Ozama below.
• The asylum cells - traces of the building's nineteenth-century use.

When to go

November to April is the dry season. The ruin can be seen from the street any day, but Sunday evening is when it comes alive, with the music starting in the early evening and running late. Arrive before dark for the view.

Before you go

Outside the Sunday event the ruin is fenced and viewed from outside, with no interpretation. The surrounding streets are a working neighbourhood rather than a polished tourist zone, and ordinary caution applies after dark; take a booked ride rather than walking back late. The Sunday party is crowded and loud.

Nearby

The Zona Colonial is downhill; the hospital ruin is on the same street.

Key facts