Columbus Lighthouse ( es, Faro a Colón, links=no, meaning "Lighthouse to Columbus") is a
mausoleum monument located in
Santo Domingo Este,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, in tribute to
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
.
Construction began in 1986, using plans drawn in 1931 by Scottish architect
J.L. Gleave. In time for the 500th anniversary of
Columbus's first voyage, the monument was inaugurated in 1992. It was funded by the Latin American states and the total cost of construction was approximately US$70 million.
The monument's
lighthouse-style features projecting beams of light, forming a cross shape, which are so powerful that they can be seen from neighboring
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
.
Overview
The Columbus Lighthouse is a cross-shaped monument made of reinforced
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
, Its dimensions are by .
The cross footprint represents the Christianization of the Americas. There are 157 beams of light that emanate towards the sky from the structure and a rotating beam, which can be seen from space.
According to the Dominican authorities, remains of Christopher Columbus are sheltered at the lighthouse. However, Spanish authorities have proved through DNA tests that the remains in the
Cathedral of Seville are the real remains of Columbus. Researchers point out that this strong evidence does not completely rule out the possibility of the bones in Santo Domingo also belonging to the explorer.
The Dominican authorities have not allowed the same DNA tests to be done to the remains in the lighthouse, so it is impossible to know if the remains of Columbus are divided or if the remains in the lighthouse belonged to another person.
The monument is both a
mausoleum and a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
showcasing objects, including a boat from
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and Colombian jewelry.
Once a year, on
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
, the remains are displayed in their crypt (behind a sheet of glass).
History
The Dominican historian Antonio Delmonte y Tejada, in his book ''History of Santo Domingo'', published in 1852, expressed the idea of erecting a monument in honor of Columbus in Santo Domingo.
In 1914, the American, Pulliam William Ellis, began selling the idea of building a monumental beacon in the first city of the New World to the American
press. The idea became universally accepted during the 1923 celebration of the Fifth International Conference in Chile, when it was decreed that this monument should be built in cooperation by all governments and peoples of the Americas.
Scottish architect Joseph Lea Gleave won the competition among 455 participants from 48 countries. The ceremony was held in Brazil in 1931, and the judges included distinguished architects, such as Horacio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay),
Eliel Saarinen
Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish-American architect known for his work with art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Eero Saarinen.
Lif ...
(Finland), and
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
(USA). However, by 1950, only eight countries had made contributions, totaling less than $15,000. Yet, the Dominican government forged ahead with the project, and in 1948, the foundations of the monument were inaugurated.
After 1948, there was growing instability in the country and the political situation made it impossible to resume construction, until 1986. During the government of
Joaquín Balaguer, construction resumed under the supervision of the Dominican architect Teófilo Carbonell, and culminated in the construction of the monument in 1992; in time for the celebration of the
quincentennial discovery of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
.
The monument, though originally conceived by Gleave as a mausoleum, was adapted to house a permanent collection of exhibitions from each country of the Americas, as well as other European and Asian countries, as requested by former President Balaguer. These exhibitions house items of cultural heritage from each country;
Tony Horwitz wrote in 2008 that the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
's exhibition included a handful of small photographs of
Independence Day celebrations, as well as many poster-sized reproductions of newspaper front pages reporting on the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
References
Sources
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus Lighthouse
Museums in the Dominican Republic
Buildings and structures completed in 1992
Buildings and structures in Santo Domingo Province
Architecture in the Dominican Republic
Tourist attractions in Santo Domingo Province
Tourism in the Dominican Republic
Burial monuments and structures in the Dominican Republic
Mausoleums in the Dominican Republic
Cultural depictions of Christopher Columbus