i Dominican Republic - travelfilm.de

mix of Gothic-Mudejar and Spanish and
Italian Renaissance styles, was completed
without the use of a single nail in any of
its 22 rooms or on any of the 72 doors
and windows that, even today, pivot open
and shut with the help of huge mahogany
cross-bars embedded in the thick walls.
There, in 1512 and 1513, respectively,
Juana and Isabel, the other two
daughters of the couple, were born.
The adjoining chapel, whose original
structure has been preserved, witnessed
the marriage of Enriquillo and Mencía
were married in 1517.
Probably an unknown to most people,
Enriquillo is to most Dominicans the very
incarnation of rebellion against injustice.
His personal history is very inspiring.
Thanks to one of our greatest novelists,
Manuel de Jesús Galván, the epic of
his life history, which bears his name, is
available as a book.
There is certainly much to say about him.
However, any introduction would have
to begin with the fact that in 1533 one
Captain Francisco de Barrionuevo arrived
in Hispaniola aboard an imperial manof-war.
Under his command were 200
soldiers, and in his hand was a treaty
signed by Charles V, that was to become
very first diplomatic document between a
European power and a New World polity.
The document, addressed to Enriquillo,
called for the abolition of slavery. This
hitherto humble Taíno, who had now
become indomitable and proud, and
whose strength was inspired by his
people’s just claim to respect and dignity,
signed the document and placed it on
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his head as a sign of approval, and
immediately ordered his followers to go
down the Bahoruco Sierra (mountain) to
comply with the treaty.
The original walls of Alcazar have
braved the storms of time and still stand
to this day, silent witnesses to the many
intrigues, triumphs and agonies that the
descendants of Admiral Don Christopher
Columbus endured for nearly seven
decades.
The Alcázar was the seat of the first
Spanish court of the New World and
of the tribunal of the viceroyalty. From
here, the New World was administered,
military strategies were hatched, and
expeditions were launched. Ultimately,
this nerve-center of power and authority
facilitated the colonization of Guatemala,
Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Florida, Puerto Rico,
Colombia, and Jamaica.
The Palace was restored in 1955 under
the direction of the Spanish architect,
Javier Barroso.
Las Reales Atarazanas, the Royal
Shipyards
The brilliance of 15th and 16th-century
architectural expression is reflected in
the colossal, antiquated buildings of