Publications
San Cristóbal de la Laguna as a Trial Colonial City Prior to the Founding of Spanish American Settlements: The Influence of Convent Life on the City-Territory
San Cristóbal de la Laguna (1496) served as a pivotal trial colonial city, bridging the gap between peninsular Spanish urban planning and early American settlements. This study reveals its role as an intermediate model that enriched colonial urban planning principles before their application in the Americas. Unlike defensive designs of mainland cities, San Cristóbal's grid adapted to insular terrain, with religious architecture—particularly convents, churches, hermitages, and hospitals—acting as structural elements shaping the city's social order and territory. By comparing it with UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Santo Domingo (1502) and Panama Viejo (1519), researchers confirm its influence on the evolutionary process of early colonial urban planning, highlighting convent foundations as key territorial organizers.
Patrimonio Cultural y Esclavitud: El Caso de la Restauración de la Ciudad Colonial de Santo Domingo
The restoration of Santo Domingo's colonial city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, has historically glorified European conquerors while obscuring the contributions and suffering of Indigenous peoples and African slaves. This study reveals that such restorations have perpetuated a one-sided narrative, despite efforts like UNESCO’s 'Slave Route' project. The research highlights the need for comprehensive historical studies to address slavery's role in shaping both Dominican and Haitian societies. A key contribution is the 'Historical Atlas of Slavery,' which aims to provide data on the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to late 18th centuries, offering insights crucial for understanding the island’s divided development and building a more inclusive national identity.
Authenticity of architecture, place attachment, identity and support for sustainable tourism in world heritage cities
A strong connection exists between perceived architectural authenticity and residents' support for sustainable tourism in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mediated by place attachment and cultural identity. Research in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone revealed that authentic architecture fosters deeper community ties and local identity, which in turn encourages residents to advocate for tourism practices that preserve heritage. This relationship was analyzed using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on 509 valid responses, offering a post-pandemic perspective on how architectural authenticity can strengthen support for sustainable conservation efforts.
Colonial Legacies in Urban Landscapes: A Comparative Analysis of Santo Domingo and Oaxaca
Colonial planning paradigms persist in shaping urban landscapes and spatial hierarchies in Latin American heritage cities, contributing to contemporary issues such as gentrification, infrastructural inequality, and symbolic dispossession. A comparative analysis of Santo Domingo and Oaxaca reveals distinct yet interconnected colonial trajectories: Santo Domingo exemplifies a fortified, centralized model, while Oaxaca demonstrates a more permeable and negotiated urban form shaped by mestizaje and indigenous resilience. Both cities, however, remain structured by exclusionary spatial regimes. The study advocates for a decolonial urban approach that interrogates these continuities, reclaims urban memory, and prioritizes spatial justice and community agency to reshape Latin American cities.
Reconceptualizing the Spanish Caribbean in the Long Seventeenth Century: A Review Essay
A significant shift in the historiography of the Spanish Caribbean reveals that Hispaniola's peripheral status within the Spanish empire did not hinder its importance or influence. Juan José Ponce Vázquez's work challenges traditional narratives by demonstrating that contraband trade and local agency flourished despite imperial oversight, with smuggling forming a 'moral economy' that shaped society across all sectors. This study highlights Hispaniola's pivotal role in the Caribbean, including its complex relationship with French colonization, and argues that trends typically associated with the 18th century emerged as early as the late 16th century. Ponce Vázquez's analysis of local elites leveraging imperial weakness to advance their interests further underscores the region's significance in understanding broader colonial dynamics.
The Struggle to End Early America in Unified Haiti
On February 9, 1822, Haiti's annexation of Santo Domingo marked the definitive end of racial chattel slavery on Hispaniola and the second immediate, general emancipation in the Americas. This 'Haitian unification' was driven by a decades-long struggle involving enslaved populations, free people of African descent, and Haitian revolutionary leaders, culminating in the abolition of colonialism, slavery, and institutionalized racial inequality. While the unification symbolized a new era of independence and antislavery, it also revealed paradoxical continuities, including reactionary movements and renewed colonial threats. The study examines how this complex historical process challenges narratives of clear junctures in American history.
Urban Layout of the First Ibero-American Cities on the Continent through Conventual Foundations: The Cases of Santo Domingo (1502) and Panama Viejo (1519)
Religious orders played a pivotal role in shaping the urban layouts of two early Ibero-American cities, Santo Domingo and Panama Viejo. In Santo Domingo (1502), convents established on city outskirts directed expansion along grid-like axes, reinforcing urban control. Conversely, Panama Viejo's (1519) design emerged from longitudinal streets dominated by convents, defining its structure until its abandonment in 1671. This study leverages cartography, historical records, and GIS analysis to compare their evolution, revealing how religious power influenced colonial urbanism. Findings highlight the significance of conventual foundations in structuring early American cities.
Application of Geophysical Prospecting Methods for Soil Structure Characterization of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Geophysical prospecting methods reveal that the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant colonial buildings in the Dominican Republic, is situated on soil classified as 'C'—very dense soil and soft rock—according to NEHRP standards. This classification, determined using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) techniques, suggests that the site could experience moderate seismic risk during earthquakes greater than 5.0 Mw, common in Hispaniola due to its location between the North American and Caribbean plates. Georadar tests further confirmed the absence of unknown caverns beneath the cathedral's foundation, validating the seismic classification. The study underscores the importance of such methods for assessing the vulnerability of heritage structures in seismically active zones.
Urban Forest Sustainability in Residential Areas in the City of Santo Domingo
Urban forest planning can significantly enhance climate resilience and mitigate climate change impacts, particularly when tailored to socioeconomic factors. A study of four residential areas in Santo Domingo revealed that Gazcue exhibited the highest urban forest sustainability index, driven by job stability, medium-high income, and property ownership. The research, based on 147 interviews and ecosystem service measurements from 2016–2019, highlighted the importance of integrating tree species selection, spatial design, and legal frameworks into urban planning to foster territorial sustainability. These findings underscore the need for strategic urban forest management that balances economic value with environmental benefits, offering a model for other cities facing climate challenges.
“Prime Mover of All Machinations”: Rodrigo Pimentel, Smuggling, and the Artifice of Power
Local elites in Santo Domingo, including figures like Rodrigo Pimentel, exploited and manipulated royal institutions to consolidate power, expand influence across the Spanish Caribbean, and profit from contraband networks. This study reveals how these elites shaped the edges of the empire according to their interests, while simultaneously limiting Madrid's authority. By analyzing Pimentel’s political career, it exposes the profound limitations of the Habsburg monarchy’s bureaucratic apparatus in governing its colonial territories, particularly beyond Mexico City and Lima. The research demonstrates that Audiencias and governors often became extensions of local communities rather than anchors of royal power, illustrating a dynamic where local groups both challenged and defined the Spanish empire's structure.
Colonial Origins: Hispaniola in the Sixteenth Century
Hispaniola underwent profound economic transformations during the sixteenth century, transitioning from gold extraction to African slavery-driven sugar plantations and later shifting to ginger cultivation and cattle ranching. This study reveals how these shifts reshaped the island's labor dynamics and colonial economy, with Santo Domingo emerging as the central hub of social and political power. The research employs historical analysis to trace these economic cycles, highlighting the interplay between indigenous labor exploitation and the expansion of African slavery. By examining archival records and economic trends, the study provides a nuanced understanding of Hispaniola's colonial evolution, offering insights into the long-term impacts on the region's development.
Racial narratives in leisure landscapes : colonial tourism in Santo Domingo
Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, serves as a constructed landscape that reinforces a national identity rooted in whiteness and Hispanicism while excluding African ancestry. This study reveals how colonial architecture, monuments, street names, and memorials—shaped by Spanish colonial and US imperial influences—create a heritage vision that perpetuates anti-blackness and patriarchy. Through visual analysis of personal and archival photographs, the research demonstrates how these structures shape collective memory, particularly through the dissemination of anti-Haitian ideology during US military occupation. It also highlights instances of Dominican resistance to US imperialism, critically examining the archives tied to these protests.
La creación del primer paisaje colonial español en las Américas, Santo Domingo, 1492-1548
This study reveals the violent and racially charged origins of Spanish imperial imagery in Santo Domingo, which became the blueprint for colonial landscapes across the Americas. It demonstrates how the destruction of indigenous worlds and the racialization of space were fundamental to the creation of this landscape, challenging its perceived naturalness. Through a meticulous analysis of primary sources from 1492 to 1548—including chronicles, travel itineraries, ordinances, and Crown letters—the research conceptualizes the landscape as both ideology and practice, uncovering the systemic violence, displacement, and resistance embedded in colonial urban development. By centering the Caribbean within European modernity, the study re-evaluates indigenous and African Maroon counter-imagery, highlighting ongoing patterns of destruction and racism in colonial landscapes.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic, stands as the oldest European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. Its historical significance is underscored by its declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, recognizing the enduring cultural and architectural legacy of its Colonial City. Located at the confluence of the Ozama River and the Caribbean Sea, Santo Domingo serves as the country's industrial, commercial, administrative, and financial hub. This designation highlights its pivotal role in shaping the region's history and its continued importance as a symbol of colonial heritage.
Contested Conquests:African Maroons and the Incomplete Conquest of Hispaniola, 1519–1620
A re-evaluation of Spanish anti-maroon campaigns on Hispaniola reveals that these actions were integral to the prolonged and often incomplete process of Spanish conquest, challenging the dominant narrative of post-conquest colonial order. The study highlights that African maroons, traditionally seen as resistors, were also active 'conquerors' in their own right. This insight emerges from an analysis of a 1571 royal decree authorizing the 'conquest' of maroon communities, a term rarely used for anti-maroon campaigns, which typically employed euphemistic language like 'reduce,' 'pacify,' or 'dislodge.' The research approach involves examining the linguistic and historical context of this decree, linking it to broader patterns of resistance and conquest in Spanish America from 1519 to 1620.
La ville coloniale de Santo-Domingo (République dominicaine), entre patrimonialisation et gentrification
Santo Domingo, the 'first city of the New World,' undergoes significant socio-spatial transformations driven by tourism development and gentrification. The study reveals that the city's rich colonial heritage—marked by landmarks like the first convent and university—attracts substantial international tourism, which in turn fuels investment and gentrification, particularly in its historic core. This process reshapes the urban landscape while preserving its cultural significance. The research links tourism growth to these changes, employing a qualitative approach to analyze spatial and social dynamics.
A new colonisation of a Caribbean city
Gentrification and 'touristification' in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo have significantly reshaped urban dynamics, increasing economic competitiveness but also exacerbating segregation and urban poverty. The study reveals that recent urban planning shifts, often supported by supranational development agencies, have prioritized tourism and property investment, leading to stark socio-urban contrasts. Morphological analysis highlights how these changes have altered the city's landscape, with serious implications for social equity. The research underscores the consequences of such transformations, offering insights into the broader impact of global tourism trends on Caribbean urban centers.
An integrated model for evaluating investments in cultural heritage tourism in the Dominican Republic
Investments in cultural heritage tourism can significantly boost economic growth, employment, and income in tourism-dependent economies. A study on the Colonial City of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic demonstrates that enhancing cultural heritage tourism opportunities diversifies the tourism product, expands the visitor base, and increases tourism expenditure. The research introduces an integrated economic model combining economy-wide modeling, time series analysis, stated preference approaches, and net present value analysis to evaluate such investments. This framework provides valuable insights into how targeted investments can accelerate economic development, offering a replicable approach for other regions with similar goals.
Retos urbanos y medioambientales para una mejor gestión del patrimonio cultural en cuatro ciudades del Caribe: La Habana, San Juan Viejo, Santo Domingo y Cartagena de Indias
UNESCO World Heritage designation has driven significant local and national development in Caribbean historic centers, but current conservation efforts often overlook urban and environmental challenges. This study reveals that rigid preservation approaches to colonial cities like La Habana, San Juan Viejo, Santo Domingo, and Cartagena de Indias create disruptions in broader urban functions such as environmental quality, mobility, and infrastructure. By analyzing legal-administrative documentation and urban planning frameworks, the research demonstrates the need for more integrated management strategies that align cultural heritage preservation with global urban regeneration goals. The findings propose joint actions based on the Caribbean Action Plan for World Heritage (2015-2019) to improve transversal governance, ensuring sustainable preservation of exceptional universal values while addressing modern urban and environmental demands.
The Economic Benefits of Investing in Cultural Tourism: Evidence from the Colonial City of Santo Domingo
Investing in cultural tourism yields substantial economic benefits, significantly boosting economic growth and household well-being while avoiding negative consequences such as reduced output, employment, and terms of trade. A study applying a novel framework to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Colonial City of Santo Domingo, demonstrates that a hypothetical US$90 million investment in cultural tourism could generate these positive outcomes. The research integrates quantitative methodologies from environmental and tourism economics, highlighting that indirect and induced benefits often overlooked in traditional cost-benefit analyses can lead to substantial undervaluation of returns on investment. Conversely, disinvestment in cultural tourism was shown to have detrimental effects on the economy, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in preserving and promoting cultural heritage for sustainable development.
Introduction. Roots and Branches of the Tree of Liberty
A pivotal moment in the history of Santo Domingo, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is illuminated through the symbolic destruction of the Tree of Liberty in 1864. This event marked the collapse of Dominican-Haitian unification and the reimposition of colonial rule, revealing the fragility of anticolonial struggles on Hispaniola. The study employs historical analysis to trace the tree's significance as a symbol of emancipation and independence, contrasting its celebratory origins under Jean-Pierre Boyer's administration with its violent demise amid political upheaval. By examining primary sources and poetic responses, it underscores the enduring impact of colonial power dynamics on Caribbean identity.
The Repeating City: Urban Space in Hispanic Caribbean Literature
Hispanic Caribbean literature reveals the city as a dynamic, multifaceted entity that transcends its historical roles as fortress or port. Twentieth- and twenty-first-century works on Havana (Cuba), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) depict urban spaces as sites of Utopian imaginaries, lived communities, and complex power negotiations, reflecting unequal development and cultural intersections with memory, desire, and national history. The study examines how these representations challenge totalizing narratives, offering nuanced accounts of urban cultures shaped by isolation and historical contexts.
Inventing space in the cañada: Tracing children's agency in Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Children in the informal settlement of Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, actively challenge negative perceptions of their environment by redefining the liminal space of the cañada—a polluted waterway—as a source of agency and creativity. Through play, imagination, and representation, they transform tropes of decay, filth, and danger into meaningful elements of their urban experience. This study highlights the potential for children's placemaking practices to inspire radical, everyday-based approaches to urban planning that move beyond traditional discourses of citizenship-formation and technical interventionism.
Chapter Five. New World Mintage: México, Santo Domingo, Lima, And Potosí
Colonial mintage in Spanish America, including Santo Domingo, followed a structured process from ore extraction to coin production. Research reveals that while Mexico City and Lima mints typically produced more coins than the silver output they processed, Potosí's mintage pattern differed significantly, often lagging behind its silver output. The study highlights the role of private empresarios and royal supervision in colonial mint operations, with Santo Domingo's mint established in 1535 under Charles V. The approach combines historical analysis of mint records with comparative examination of silver production and coinage across key colonial mints.
Considerations on the Urban Process and Space Formation of the City of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
Santo Domingo, the first European city founded in the Americas with a grid layout during Spanish colonial rule, exhibits unique urban formation characteristics that have persisted to the present day. A study analyzing 916 historical maps from the Archive of the Indies in Seville reveals how the city's spatial development evolved over centuries, providing insights into its transformation and conservation challenges. This research combines cartographic analysis with fieldwork to clarify the enduring patterns of Santo Domingo's urban structure, offering a model for understanding colonial urbanism in America.
You are here:
World Heritage Explorer > World Heritage Research > World Heritage Sites > Colonial City of Santo Domingo