![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Alcazar_de_Colon.jpg/640px-Alcazar_de_Colon.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Alcázar de Colón
Fortified castle in the Dominican Republic / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Alcázar de Colón, or Columbus Alcazar is the first fortified European palace built in the Americas. It is located in the Dominican Republic's colonial area of Santo Domingo city, and forms part of the Ciudad Colonial UNESCO's World Heritage Site. It was built between 1510 and 1514 mostly in a Gothic and Renaissance style.
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UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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![]() Alcázar de Colón seen from the Ozama River | |
Location | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
Part of | Colonial City of Santo Domingo |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi) |
Reference | 526 |
Inscription | 1990 (14th Session) |
Coordinates | 18°28′39″N 69°52′58″W |
It is the only known residence of a member of the Christopher Columbus family in the New World, lived in by his first-born son Diego Columbus,[1][2] whose children Juana, Isabel, Luis and Christopher were born in the palace. Diego Columbus died in Spain in 1526, but María Álvarez de Toledo, his widow, remained there until her death in 1549. Three generations of the Columbus family inhabited the residence, possibly until the late 16th century.
The Tapestry collection (spanning from the 15th to 17th centuries) is particularly important and unique in the Caribbean, and includes pieces produced by the Flemish Van Den Hecke family from cartouches created by Charles Le Brun.[3] The Alcázar is the most visited museum in Santo Domingo.[4]