Panteón Nacional

The National Pantheon of Dominican Republic is a marvel to behold both from outside and indoors. IT served as a church for Jesuits from 1715 to 1745 after which is was used as a tobacco warehouse, a theater and a government office building. I 1958 the building was restored by leader and dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo to serve as his personal mausoleum. However, his dream never came true as he was assassinated in 1961 and his body was sent out of the country. The architectural style of this monument follows a typical Neo-Renaissance style and the impressive façade of the building holds a large bell and the beautifully carved Dominican coat of arms. It is here that the country’s heroes are remembered and honored, some of whom were the assassins of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The vaulted ceiling of the monument features a stunning mural, called Ascensión a los Cielos/ Ascension to Heaven and El Juicio Final/ The Last Judgement and was painted by Spanish painter Rafael Pellicer,