Puerto Plata

Culture and history info

uerto Plata is located on the north coast of the island of Santo Domingo, a place chosen by Christopher Columbus. Columbus discovers San Felipe de Puerto Plata on his first trip, on January 12, 1493 and called the mountain (now Loma Isabel de Torres) Monte de Plata because at the top there are clouds that make it appear as silver. The city of Puerto de Plata takes its name. When Columbus arrived on the island of Santo Domingo in 1492, the first thing he built was the Christmas Fort. Destroyed it builds the first city in America called La Isabela on January 2, 1492.

The city of Puerto Plata was founded in 1502 by Nicolás de Ovando in the place chosen by Colón. In 1508 he was awarded the coat of arms with a silver mount, on whose top points an F and a V are engraved, and at the foot of the mountain white and blue waves. The Fortress of San Felipe is the only witness of the city of the 16th century. This fortress was built from 1564 to 1577. The convent of San Pedro Mártir that was standing at the time of the second foundation falls into deterioration at the time of the Haitian occupation.

The church of San Felipe Apóstol of 1934 of reinforced concrete is built in the same place of the primitive and subsequent ones that were successively made of brick, masonry and wood formed of galvanized iron. On October 4, 1863, as a result of the Restoration War against the Annexation to Spain, the city was ignited, being built again in 1865. In this third building this city flourishes again due to its constant port conditions, which communicates all The Cibao region with the outside world. The opening of the railways helps this communication: Sánchez-La Vega in 1887; Puerto Plata-Santiago in 1890 and Santiago-Moca in 1909 (It should be noted that there were still no internal roads and trade had to be done on steamers along the coast). At this time merchants from different parts of the world came to populate the city mainly from Germany, England, Spain and the West Indies.

In 1974 it was chosen because of its coastal characteristics as a tourist pole by means of a presidential decree. As part of the conditioning program of Puerto Plata for tourism purposes, the infrastructure of the historic center was improved, such as the aqueduct, the boardwalk was built, streets and containers were repaired, the Fort of San Felipe was restored, and the funicular was built to climb the Isabel de Torres hill. The Victorian roundabout in the central park was rebuilt and recently on the initiative of the government the train station was rebuilt, Faith was restored in the Povernir and the Bridge of Guinea.

Culture

The culture in Puerto Plata was more than anywhere else in the country, a lifestyle. There were men, like Eduardo Brito, who without knowing how to read and write, were able to sing Rigoletto, and to do it exceptionally well; and, then, to educate oneself until you get surprised in the most developed and educated nations.

The atmosphere of freedom, of movement of people with different opinions, of troubadours, poets, painters, merchants and adventurers who established residence there, made this town really "enchanted".

Wealth is stored in its historical monuments, in its Victorian houses, in its late-night and bohemian customs, in its patriotic deeds and in the character of the people, they were part of the miracle in less time than anywhere else in the world. They helped as much as they could do the beauty of their beaches and the investments made.