Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo)
| Ciudad Colonial | |
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Map of Santo Domingo, 1873
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 Ciudad Colonial
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| Coordinates: 18°28′22.8″N 69°52′58.8″W / 18.473000°N 69.883000°WCoordinates: 18°28′22.8″N 69°52′58.8″W / 18.473000°N 69.883000°W | |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Province | Distrito Nacional |
| City | Santo Domingo |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1990 (21st session) |
| Reference no. | 526 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for "Colonial City") is the historic central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone). The Ciudad Colonial is located on the west bank of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. It covers less than 5 square kilometers.
It is an important section of the city due to the high number of landmarks, including Alcázar de Colón, Fortaleza Ozama, Catedral Primada de America, and others.
The first settlement of what is now Santo Domingo was established by Bartholomew Columbus on the East bank of the Ozama River. After the 1502 hurricane that claimed Francisco de Bobadilla among its victims, however, the city was relocated on the West bank under the leadership of Nicolás de Ovando. Ovando and his successor Diego Colón presided over the first constructions of the Colonial City, many of which still exist today. Santo Domingo's fortifications were an important feature of the urban landscape. The defense wall (murralla) extended from the Ozama River to the Puerta del Conde, which was the entrance to the hinterland and the Western boundary of the city until the late 19th century.
The Spaniards used this settlement as the first point of influence in the Americas, from which they conquered other Caribbean islands and much of the American mainland. Santo Domingo was initially the political and cultural hub of Spanish presence in the new world, but after a few decades started to decline as the Spaniards focused their attention more on the mainland after conquering Mexico, Peru, and other regions of Latin America. Ciudad Colonial nevertheless remained an important historical site.
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