Overview:

The Monument to Friar Anton de Montesinos, in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic, is a monument commemorating Friar Anton de Montesinos, a preacher of the Dominican Republic’s first sermon of freedom. He declared freedom for slaves in Santo Domingo in 1511, a bold stance that helped spark independence movement in the region. The Monument, which serves to honor his memory, was erected in 1998. The Monument is an eleven-meter tall bronze sculpture that stands in the center of the Plaza de la Libertad. The statue itself portrays Friar Anton de Montesinos as a figure holding up a cross, and features a mosaic base of images from his famous sermon. At the central base of the sculpture are four figures in bronze that represent the four fundamental aspects of freedom: justice, wisdom, liberty, and absolute equality. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Dominican-Republic
Prominent Features:

of the part of Santo Domingo called colonial zone, one of the city’s most atmospheric public squares is the Plaza España, enclosed to the south by the monumental facade of the Iglesia Catedral Primada de America, and to the north, by the Monumento a Fray Antón de Montesinos. The Monumento a Fray Antón de Montesinos is located in the middle of the Plaza España right across from the Catedral. It was unveiled in 1903 and pays homage to the memory of the Dominican Friar who proclaimed the sermon of freedom for the natives of the islands during the first mass celebrated in the New World on Christmas Eve in 1492. The monument consists of a bronze sculpture of the priest with his arm stretched out, bearing a Bible, atop a granite pedestal, surrounded by an ornate iron fence. It is truly a masterpiece of Dominican sculpture. The Monumento is of great historical significance in Dominican Republic and has become a tourist attraction in Santo Domingo. This national monument of Dominican-Republic portrays the history and culture of the country.

History:

The Monument to Fray Antón de Montesinos is a public monument located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was dedicated to the Dominican Friar and preacher Fray Antón de Montesinos (1475-1545), starting in August 1511. The Monument, inaugurated on September 4, 1856 in front of the ruins of the hospital and church of San Francisco de Asis, stands in honour of the Dominican friar who during a sermon delivered in the first Mass celebrated in the New World, reproached the Spanish conquistadors for their cruel treatment of the native population. The monument is a bronze bust of Fray Antón de Montesinos which stands on an octagonal base of white marble from Macael in Spain. The cap of the monk and the pedestal carry seven inscriptions symbolizing such aspects of Montesinos as his personal qualities, the main events of his life and the significance of the sermon that he preached in Hispaniola. The inauguration of the monument was one of the central acts of the celebration of the first centenary of the country’s independence. The ceremony took place in the presence of numerous national leaders and several foreign dignitaries. The monument was declared a National Monument of Historic Value in 1971. In 1991, the Historic Centre of Santo Domingo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Fray Antón de Montesinos Monument playing a major role in the criteria of Outstanding Universal Value. You must visit one of these historical places in Dominican-Republic on your Dominican-Republic tour

Interesting facts:

1. The Monumento a Fray Antón de Montesinos is a 37-meter (121-foot) monument located in the capital city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. 2. The monument is a memorial dedicated to Friar Antón de Montesinos, a Spanish Dominican friar who preached a fiery sermon in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo in 1511 against the oppression of the indigenous Taíno people by the Europeans. 3. The monument was designed by local artist Centurión and was unveiled in 2011, 500 years after the FranciscanFriar’s sermon. 4. The monument is made of two parts: a large column with a statue of Friar Montesinos on top, and a base with 3 relief sculptures that depict scenes of the Dominican Republic history and injustices perpetrated against the natives. 5. The monument serves as a reminder of the dark and sometimes violent history of the Dominican Republic and to never forget the struggles of the Native people who have so often been forgotten in the pages of history. Visit one of the famous monuments of Dominican-Republic with your friends and family.