José Arias,
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO– The old San Antón neighborhood, located northeast of Santo Domingo's Colonial City, still preserves remnants of colonial-era houses, republican-era homes, and the oldest ones: wooden structures that survived Hurricane San Zenón in 1930.
Most of these houses are affiliated with the Airbnb real estate system, spaces for the sale of Creole fast food and commercial establishments such as grocery stores and cafes.
The jewel in its crown is the chapel or hermitage of San Antón, according to the definition of the late and outstanding journalist and historian, María Ugarte in her work “Colonial Churches, Chapels and Hermitages”.
The Church of San Antón is a stone and brick reconstruction of the small temple. Its construction was carried out by African slaves by order of Governor Nicolás de Ovando in 1502.
The name pays homage to the monk Antón Abad, of Christian faith, founder of the eremitic movement in the Old City of Santo Domingo at that time.
Its elegant yet humble architectural design reflects the Gothic spirit and the sobriety with which neighborhood churches were built during the colonial period in Santo Domingo. It is constructed primarily of stone, with bricks used as a complementary element in secondary walls.
The Hermitage of San Antón was built by slaves in 1586. Justo Feliz/El Inmobiliario.
In colonial times, San Antón was a neighborhood and a stronghold to confront the pirate invasions that ravaged the Hispanic Caribbean.
Despite its characteristics as a space dedicated to the security of the First Santo Domingo of America, the neighborhood was home to the "sons of machepa" of the time: blacks and mulattos and white Creoles of humble origin.
It could be deduced that San Antón was one of the first slums in the New World. Perhaps the very first. Despite being a fortified neighborhood, the pirate Francis Drake burned down the church during one of his frequent attacks in 1586.
After being restored, it was destroyed again by the San Zenón cyclone in 1930, after having suffered deterioration previously as a result of natural phenomena, neglect and time.
San Antón is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Santo Domingo. Justo Feliz/El Inmobiliario.
The San Antón neighborhood has recently undergone renovations as part of the Colonial City remodeling program undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), much to the delight of its residents. This includes San Antón, as well as Santa Bárbara (whose church has already been restored), San Lázaro, and San Miguel, all considered among the oldest urban areas in Santo Domingo. Let's hope it all turns out well.
Originally published in the print edition of El Inmobiliario .
