Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for "Colonial City") is the first settlement made by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish explorers in the New World. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.[1] Colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone), Ciudad Colonial is part of the original Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the origin of the district dates back to the 16th century. The District is located in the west corner of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. The district today 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 majority of the landmarks and cultural venues of the Zona Colonial were erected during the colonial period of Spanish rule, and as such some are in desperate need of repairs and maintenance. (Their names are in Spanish.)
Catedral de Santa María la Menor

• Puerta del Conde (Parque de la Independencia)
• Alcázar de Colón
• Fortaleza Ozama
• Panteón Nacional
• Museo de las Casas Reales
• Royal Sundial
• Ruinas de San Francisco, Monasterio San Francisco
• La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
• Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Bari
• La Casa de Bastidas
• Hostal Nicolás de Ovando

The Spanish used this settlement as the first point of influence in the Americas, from which they conquered much of the American mainland. Even though Spaniards focused their attention more on the mainland after conquering Mexico, Peru, and other regions of Latin America, Ciudad Colonial remained an important historical site.[2] Interior view of Santa María la Menor Cathedral The city was surrounded by a defense wall (murralla, in Spanish) extending from the Ozama River to the Puerta del Conde ("The Gate of the Count", in Spanish), which was the only entrance to the hinterland and the furthest boundary of the city until around the late 19th century. In the 17th century, it is known that the defensive wall was modified after the Siege of Santo Domingo led by the William Penn and Robert Venables. The 1655 invasion was thwarted by Spanish troops commanded by the Captain General of the Colony, Don Bernardino de Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalva, to whom the Puerta del Conde is named after.[3] Prior to the invasion, there was a fort at the site where the Puerta del Conde is today, Fuerte San Genaro. It is believed that the modification that occurred after the siege involved the expansion of the wall to the fort, effectively creating a bastion, El Baluarte del Conde.

The defensive wall was composed of various bastions, such as El Baluarte del Conde and gates such as La Puerta de la Misericordia. There were also several forts which ran along the wall, such as El Fuerte de la Concepcion and El Fuerte de Santa Bárbara.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Colonial_%28Santo_Domingo%29

Links:
http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/ - This website will list places to eat, shop and cultural locations within walking distance of our apartments.